S  B 


^-••- 


1916 


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>  - 


Progressive 
Agriculture 


1916 

TILLAGE,  NOT  WEATHER, 
CONTROLS  YIELD 


BY 

HARDY  W.  qAMPBELL 

LINCOLN,  NEBR. 
U.  S.  A. 


PRICE,  $1.00 


1916 

WOODRUFF  BANK  NOTE  Co. 
LINCOLN,  NEBRASKA 


COPYRIGHTED  1916 

BY 
H.  W.  CAMPBELL 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

A 

Vale 


INDEX  TO  CHAPTERS 


CHAPTER 


TITLE  OF  CHAPTER 


PAGE 


PREFACE 

I.  A  Few  Opening  Suggestions 7 

II.  Farm  Possibilities 16 

III.  Preparation  Before  Seeding 28 

IV.  Corn  the  Staple  Crop 40 

V.  New  Problem  in  Corn  Culture 51 

VI.  Time  of  Planting 59 

VII.  Wheat 65 

VIII.  Does  Tillage  Increase  Fertility 75 

X.  Summer  Tilling  for  Wheat 85 

XI.  Amount  of  Seed  per  Acre 91 

XII.  Disking  After  the  Harvest 94 

XIII.  Cane  for  Hay  and  Silage 97 

XIV.  Kaffir  Corn 103 

XV.  Hog  or  Broom  Corn  Millet 104 

XVI.  The  Garden 106 

XVII.  Trees  on  the  Farm 108 

XVIII.  The  Soil  Auger  in  Tillage  Education.  .  112 

See  the  48  illustrations  and  color  plates  upon  which  this 
book  is  based;  they  are  grouped  on  pages  130  to  155,  inclusive. 


386050 


INDEX  TO  SUBHEADINGS 

PAGE 

Seven  Points  or  Classes  in  Tillage 9 

Class  1.     Planning  Tillage  Work 11 

Class  2.     Preparation  of  Soil  to  Plow 11 

Class  3.     Plowing 12 

Class  4.     Physical  Condition  of  Soil 13 

Class  5.     Keeping  Up  Tillage 13 

Class  6.     Planting 14 

Class  7.     Cultivation 14 

Success  With  Right  Principles 20 

Every  Farmer  an  Investigator 23 

Mr.  G.  W.  Hahn's  Home 25 

Spring  Tillage 28 

Summer  Tillage 33 

Plowing  the  Summer  Tilled  Land 34 

Fall  Tilling 37 

Plowing  for  Winter  Wheat 39 

Seed  Corn 41 

Thick  or  Thin  Planting 43 

Corn  Cultivation 44 

Harrow  and  Cultivate 45 

Purpose  of  Cultivation 46 

Cultivation  of  Listed  Corn 48 

Late  Cultivation  of  Corn 50 

Results  of  Spring  Tillage  and  Late  Planting 52 

Other  Results  Obtained 55 

Corn  for  Grain  and  Ensilage 57 

Winter  Wheat  and  Tillage 67 

Further  Evidence 70 

More  Evidence 77 

Why  This  Remarkable  Stooling  and  Growth 82 

Influence  of  Ideal  Conditions 84 

Look  Out  for  Blowing 86 

The  Problem  of  Weeds 87 

Effect  of  Rains  on  Summer  Tilling 89 

Advantage  of  Pacific  Coast  in  Summer  Tilling 90 

Fall  Seeding  of  Summer  Tilled  Land 92 

The  Remedy  for  Too  Thick  Stand 93 

Fall  Seeding  on  Fall  Tilled  Land 93 

Spring  Wheat 94 

Crops  and  Soil  Fertility 96 

Cane  Hay  a  Valuable  Crop 98 

Spring  Tilling  for  Cane  Hay 98 

How  to  Plant  Cane  Seed 100 

Quantity  of  Cane  Seed 101 

Cane  for  Silo 101 

Preparing  for  Trees 109 

Planting  the  Trees 109 

Small  Fruit Ill 

Breaking  Sod  for  Crop Ill 

The  Soil  Auger— What  It  Will  Show  You 112 

Kind  and  Size  of  Soil  Auger 114 

How  to  Begin  Investigation 114 

Water  Holding  Capacity  of  Soil 115 

When  to  Use  the  Soil  Auger 116 

Examining  the  Soil  Moisture 118 

The  Auger  as  Tillage  Indicator 119 

Some  Strong  Endorsements  of  Our  Work 122 


PREFACE 

Progressive  Agriculture  has  been  selected  as 
the  title  of  this  book  for  the  reason  that  these 
two  words  have  much  meaning  to  the  American 
people  on  two  very  vital  lines. 

Progressive,  as  defined  in  the  dictionary,  means 
going  forward,  advancement,  improvement,  de- 
veloping greater  things,  conditions,  crops.  Agri- 
culture is  farming,  husbandry,  tillage,  the  raising 
of  food  for  man  and  beast.  Therefore  applied 
Progressive  Agriculture  means  briefly  increased 
prosperity  and  happiness. 

In  semi-humid  regions  the  problem  of  general 
farming  is  one  of  how  to  avoid  waste.  Twenty- 
one  years  ago  we  began  writing  and  speaking  on 
the  subject  of  soil  tillage  to  conserve  the  moisture 
and  obtain  better  crops,  having  begun  our  obser- 
vations 14  years  before.  Now  we  are  able  to 
give  in  these  pages  results  of  35  years  of  actual 
field  experiments  in  the  rich  region  which  stretches 
from  the  Missouri  valley  to  the  Pacific  and  from 
Mexico  to  the  north  boundary  of  Alberta.  Much 
progress  was  made  in  the  early  years,  but  never 
so  much  as  in  the  past  four  years,  in  which  time 
we  have  had  the  hearty  cooperation  of  a  large 
number  of  progressive  farmers,  over  a  wide  scope 
of  country. 

Our  ideas  have  undergone  change  with  better 
knowledge  of  the  problem  and  a  more  practical 
field  information  as  the  result;     and  while  in  a  I 
way  there  is  nothing  fundamentally  new  in  it,  1 


4  Pr'efzce 

/the  practical  application  of  the  vital  principles  is 

(  all  new,  and  today  we  are  better  prepared  than 

ever  before  to   give   information   that  will   be 

immensely  helpful  to  all  who  are  engaged  in 

general  fanning  in  the  west. 

The  real  question  is  one  of  results — large  crops 
in  all  seasons,  surer  crops  every  year,  cutting 
out  uncertainty  and  chance  wherever  possible. 
It  can  be  done,  it  has  been  done,  you  can  do  it. 

A  great  army  of  doubters  has  been  forced  to 
recognize  the  plain  fact  that  these  problems  are 
being  solved,  and  public  sentiment  now  more 
than  ever  before  favors  the  demonstrated  fact 
that  by  soil  tillage  very  much  can  be  done  to  over- 
come the  handicap  of  limited  rainfall  in  the  semi- 
humid  west.  There  is  better  appreciation  of  the 
close  relation  between  soil  tillage  and  available 
plant  food,  together  with  the  quantity  of  seed 
and  time  of  seeding,  and  consequent  increase  of 
crops.  It  is  a  growing  and  expanding  subject 
with  immense  possibilities. 

Results  of  actual  farm  work  form  the  basis  of 
this  book.  The  principles  stated  and  discussed  have 
been  developed  from  actual  experiments  in  the 
great  variety  of  soils  under  many  climatic  con- 
ditions. The  pictures  used  are  from  photographs, 
and  names,  dates  and  actual  results  are  invariably 
given  to  illustrate  what  has  actually  been  done. 

This  book  is  dedicated  to  the  farmer  who  is 
desirous  to  make  progress  in  agriculture,  who 
will  study  these  pages  and  take  home  the  lessons 
of  these  pictures,  who  approaches  the  subject 
without  prejudice  or  skepticism,  and  who  is  will- 


Preface  5 

ing  to  take  the  steps  that  will  surely  increase  the 
returns  from  his  labor.  This  is  true  Progressive 
Agriculture. 

Yours  for  greater  prosperity  in  the  semi-humid 
sections.  HARDY  W.  CAMPBELL. 

Lincoln,  Nebr.,  Jan.  1,  1916.  j| 


Progressive  Agriculture 

CHAPTER  I 
A  FEW  OPENING  SUGGESTIONS 

What  is  tillage  of  the  soil? 

Writers  have  been  answering  the  question  for 
a  century  and  they  have  not  told  it  all.  That 
part  of  Agriculture  which  deals  with  soil  tillage  is, 
and  ever  will  be  an  unfinished  science,  because 
we  shall  go  on  learning  more  and  more  about  it 
and  never  quite  reach  the  end. 

Tillage,  in  its  broad  sense,  means  all  handling 
or  treatment  of  the  soil  incident  to  crop  growing, 
— plowing,  packing,  disking,  harrowing  and  culti- 
vating. 

Under  this  broad  term  comes  any  mechanical 
work  or  process  that  is  applied  to  change  the 
physical  condition  of  the  soil,  to  prepare  the  seed 
bed,  to  assist  the  growing  plant  and  to  keep  the 
field  free  of  weeds. 

Not  all  farmers,  or  those  interested  in  farming, 
or  persons  who  have  made  some  study  of  agri- 
culture, agree  as  to  the  relative  importance  of 
tillage  as  compared  with  other  phases  of  farm 
work.  Some  place  the  emphasis  at  one  place  and 
some  at  another.  There  are  those  who  insist  that 
success  in  farming  is  wrapped  up  in  animal 
husbandry  and  others  who  make  a  fad  of  crop 
varieties  and  of  seed  selection  and  seed  testing. 
Then  there  are  those  who  have  asserted  that  til- 
lage is  nothing  as  compared  to  climatic  conditions, 
or  in  other  words,  that  every  farmer  everywhere 


8  Progressive  Agriculture 

is  at  the  mercy  of  the  clouds  and  sunshine,  the 
drouth  and  storm. 

But  most  practical  farmers  know  that  tillage 
is  very  important,  and  they  understand  pretty 
well  how  to  get  some  good  and  sure  results  through 
intelligent  tillage.  But  there  are  some  things 
that  are  more  important  than  others,  and  that, 
so  it  has  been  demonstrated,  are  doubly  im- 
portant in  the  semi-humid  regions  of  the  country, 
in  connection  with  tillage.  For  instance:— 

Tillage  and  its  relation  to  available  plant  food 
in  the  soil  by  the  storing,  controlling  and  utilizing 
of  the  available  water,  whether  from  the  clouds, 
ditch  or  sub-irrigation.  This  has  not  heretofore 
been  considered  as  of  first  importance. 

The  farmer  must  recognize  this  importance, 
and  he  must  eventually  come  to  understand  just 
what  happens  in  chemical  action  or  bacterial 
development  under  certain  ideal  soil  conditions,  as 
well  as  what  happens  when  the  soil  is  not  in  con- 
dition to  properly  utilize  the  water. 

Available  plant  food  depends  on  this  process 
which  goes  on  in  nature's  laboratory  during  the 
time  soils  are  being  prepared  for  crops  or  between 
the  time  of  fitting  and  planting  of  the  crops.  The 
farmer  may,  to  a  large  extent,  guide  and  control 
this.  Intelligent  tillage  is  the  key  to  the  situation. 

As  it  is  now  fully  understood,  that  which  is 
done  to  bring  about  the  most  favorable  condition 
for  this  laboratory  action, — whatever  it  is  or 
however  it  comes  about, — will  also  produce  the 
ideal  condition  for  the  soil  for  quick  germination 
of  the  seed  and  rapid  root  growth.  (See  Cut  No. 
11.) 


Progressive  Agriculture  9 

Now  all  of  this  means  a  great  deal  to  the  farmer 
and  it  will  require  thoughtful  care  and  intelligent 
handling  right  from  the  start,  no  half-hearted 
work  will  win  out.  At  the  outset  it  should  be 
said  that  set  rules,  regarding  the  mechanical  work 
in  all  soils,  cannot  be  made  that  will  take  the  place 
of  those  worked  out  by  local  intelligent  observa- 
tion. The  most  that  can  be  done  is  to  establish 
the  right  principles  most  favorable  to  plant 
growth,  leaving  to  each  farmer  to  work  out  the 
problem  of  mechanical  work  largely  with  his  own 
tools  and  in  his  own  way  and  according  to  the 
special  conditions  that  obtain  in  his  own  fields. 
Once  you  catch  on  to  the  real  fundamental  prin- 
ciples, you  will  ever  after  find  yourself  intensely 
interested. 

Please  observe,  as  previously  outlined,  that  it  is 
not  alone  needful  that  there  shall  be  such  tillage 
as  will  tend  to  store  water  in  the  soil  that  it  may 
be  on  hand  when  needed,  but  the  farmer  must 
just  as  surely  direct  his  efforts  to  bringing  about 
soil  conditions  that  will  utilize  this  moisture  in 
every  available  form  to  increase  the  available 
plant  food.  This  means  a  soil  condition  where 
there  is  combined  in  the  soil,  the  proper  propor- 
tion of  air  and  water  so  that  the  summer  heat, 
when  it  comes,  will  develop  the  conditions  that 
make  for  rapid  and  healthier  growth  of  the  plants. 

SEVEN  POINTS  IN  TILLAGE 

To  more  clearly  establish  the  main  points  in 
tillage  the  subject  has  been  divided  into  seven 
heads  or  general  classes  for  consideration.  It  is 


10  Progressive  Agriculture 

hoped  that  in  this  way  the  reader  may  more 
readily  grasp  the  basic  or  fundamental  principles 
or  ideas  involved.  In  the  study  of  each  class,  as 
well  as  in  the  application  of  the  principles,  the 
fact  must  be  kept  constantly  in  mind  that  under 
semi-humid  conditions,  more  perhaps  than  else- 
where, nature  sometimes  helps  and  sometimes 
hinders  the  progress  of  work  done  to  bring  about 
the  ideal  conditions. 

Because  of  this  fact,  be  ever  alert  to  note  and 
understand  what  happens,  as  for  instance,  why 
soil  slightly  dry  or  too  wet  will  not  assume  the 
same  ideal  physical  condition  when  plowed  as 
will  moist  soil  that  is  just  right  for  the  plow.  Why 
a  half  inch  of  rainfall  will  not  have  the  same  effect 
in  dissolving  and  settling  the  lower  portion  of  the 
soil  furrow  that  an  inch  or  2-inch  rainfall  will; 
neither  will  a  2-inch  rain  have  the  same  effect  30 
days  after  plowing  that  it  would  have  one  day 
after. 

I  Intelligent  observation,  understanding  and  re- 
cognition of  these  primary  facts  is  of  wide  import- 
ance. The  lack  of  it  has  many  times  misled  the 
investigator  and  farmer  in  conclusions  as  to  the 
correctness  of  principles  and  methods  he  has  been 
following.  The  farmer  always  needs  to  remember 
that  his  attitude  towards  and  faith  in  progress, 
advancement  and  confidence  in  the  theories  in- 
volved in  any  question,  regulates  very  largely 
the  value  and  the  amount  of  truth  grasped  in  his 
investigation  of  the  basic  principles. 

While  the  "How"  and  "Why"  of  tillage  are 
broad  and  to  the  untrained  mind  complex  ques- 


Progressive  Agriculture  11 

tions,  yet  a  correct  solution  can  be  reached. 
Greater  problems  have  been  solved;  and  when 
these  questions  are  really  mastered,  the  farmer 
of  modest  means  will  have  more  dollars  added  to 
to  his  earning  capacity  than  could  be  added  in 
any  other  one  way.  To  this  branch  of  human 
endeavor  that  beautiful  old  adage,  "Knowledge 
is  Wealth",  truthfully  applies. 

CLASS  I— PLANNING 

The  first  step  in  Progressive  Agriculture  is  to 
thoughtfully  and  carefully  plan  in  advance  all 
tillage  work.  In  doing  this  recognize  the  fact  that 
certain  principal  factors  govern  growth,  produc- 
tion and  maturity  of  all  farm  crops.  Most  vital 
of  these  are — physical  condition  of  the  soil  and 
available  food,  the  quantity  of  seed  per  acre,  and 
time  of  planting.  All  of  this  is  to  be  considered  in 
connection  with  the  farmer's  judgment,  based  on 
observation,  study  and  experience,  as  to  the  kind, 
time  and  manner  of  work  to  be  applied,  for  this 
is  the  foundation  of  all  you  anticipate. 

CLASS  II— PREPARATION 

The  work  of  preparing  the  soil  for  plowing  is  a 
necessary  preliminary  work  on  which  very  much 
depends  in  most  of  the  years.  Most  important 
in  this  preparatory  work  under  semi-humid  con- 
ditions is  that  of  loosening  the  soil  at  the  surface 
early  in  the  spring,  or  just  after  the  harvest  in 
summer  or  fall.  This  is  with  the  purpose  of 
causing  the  proper  percentage  of  moisture  to 
accumulate  and  remain  in  the  firm  soil  just  below 


12  Progressive  Agriculture 

the  loosened  soil,  commonly  termed  the  mulch. 
Proper  moisture  in  soils  means  life  and  growth, 
but  dryness  death  to  all  plant  development. 
The  right  per  cent  of  moisture  will  also  make  pos- 
sible easier  and  better  plowing.  More  surely, 
also,  will  this  careful  preparation  assure  to  the 
soil  the  moisture  that  will  make  it  more  sus- 
ceptible to  each  and  every  tillage  act  designed  to 
obtain  the  ideal  physical  condition  of  the  seed 
and  root  bed.  In  short,  water  is  the  prime  ele- 
ment, not  only  for  the  plant  to  drink  but  to  aid 
in  getting  the  soil  in  ideal  condition,  to  build  up 
the  soil  and  increase  plant  food. 

CLASS  III— PLOWING 

The  third  division  of  the  topic  is  the  command 
to  plow  the  land  well,  and  in  this  much  depends  on 
the  moisture  conditions  of  the  soil  when  it  is  done. 
If  you  would  get  the  greatest  good  out  of  the  least 
possible  expense  in  tillage,  give  to  the  second 
class  very  careful  consideration,  then  be  sure  your 
furrow  is  even  in  depth  and  width  and  well 
turned.  As  to  the  depth  of  plowing,  very  much 
depends  upon  what  is  possible  in  the  follow-up 
work  as  well  as  the  condition  of  the  soil  when 
plowed  and  the  time  likely  to  elapse  between  the 
plowing  and  the  planting  of  the  crop.  Much  also 
depends  on  whether  the  soil  is  new  or  virgin  soil 
or  old  land  that  has  been  plowed  several  years. 

From  5  to  7  inches  is  a  fair  range  of  depth,  but 
the  deeper  the  plowing  is  done  the  greater  effort 
must  be  made  to  immediately  obliterate  all  air 
cavities  or  firm  the  lower  part  of  the  furrow. 


Progressive  Agriculture  13 

CLASS  IV — PHYSICAL  CONDITION 

After  plowing  it  is  important  to  put  the  plowed 
ground  into  proper  physical  condition,  with  as 
little  delay  as  possible.  The  tendency  of  the  plow 
is  to  leave  numerous  large  and  small  openings  in 
the  bottom  of  the  furrow.  Sometimes  when  soils 
are  in  ideal  condition  to  plow  moderately  fair, 
rains  will  dissolve  and  settle  the  lower  part  of  the 
freshly  plowed  ground,  but  this  cannot  be  de- 
pended on;  so  spare  no  time  in  quickly  getting 
the  lower  portion  of  the  furrow  slice  fine  and  firm, 
leaving  the  top  somewhat  coarse  and  loose.  This 
prompt  action  is  especially  important  to  offset 
bad  effects  that  will  come  if  there  follows  closely 
a  period  of  hot,  dry  weather.  The  quicker  the 
seed  and  root  bed  are  put  into  condition  after 
plowing,  to  carry  the  proper  per  cent  of  air  and 
water,  the  greater  are  your  chances  for  a  high 
limit  in  yield  from  a  small  amount  of  water. 

CLASS  V — KEEPING  UP  TILLAGE 

The  fifth  thing  to  remember  is  to  improve  the 
seed  and  root  bed  by  every  subsequent  act  of  tillagef 
prior  to  planting.  In  other  words,  let  the  work 
all  be  timely  and  of  the  right  kind,  that  at  plant- 
ing time  there  will  be  most  favorable  conditions 
for  quick  germination  of  seed  and  rapid  growth  of 
roots.  This  will  also  aid  nature  in  her  further 
liberation  of  plant  food.  The  favorable  time  for 
crop  making  is  when  the  seed  and  root  bed  is  fine 
and  firm  and  carrying  a  high  per  cent  of  moisture, 
with  the  proper  amount  of  air  and  the  right 


14  Progressive  Agriculture 

degree  of  warmth.  To  obtain  rapid  healthy 
growth  of  all  cultivated  plants  there  must  be  at 
all  times  a  liberal  amount  of  moisture  at  the  top 
of  the  firm  soil  just  below  the  loose  soil  mulch. 
The  farmer  will  try  every  concievable  plan  to 
obtain  this,  for  it  means  much.  The  simple  keep- 
ing out  of  the  weeds,  where  the  atmosphere  is  dry 
or  low  in  humidity,  is  not  enough.  The  cultiva- 
tion must  be  deep  enough  and  frequent  enough 
to  obtain  those  conditions  that  will  assure,  as  far 
as  possible,  a  continuous  moist  character  to  the 
top  of  the  firm  soil  or  root  bed. 

CLASS  VI— PLANTING 

The  sixth  is  the  matter  of  planting  the  seed,  and 
in  this  we  must  consider  how  much  of  each  kind 
of  seed  to  plant  or  sow,  also,  when  to  do  the  plant- 
ing. In  considering  both  quantity  of  seed  and 
time  of  planting,  due  consideration  must  be 
given  to  the  physical  condition  of  the  seed  bed 
and  quantity  of  available  moisture.  Success  or 
failure  often  depends  almost  entirely  on  the  time 
of  planting  and  quantity  of  seed.  Later  planting 
than  is  now  common,  if  preceded  by  careful  spring 
tillage,  will  bring  increased  yields,  as  a  rule,  and 
frequently  defeat  the  ill  effects  of  a  drouth.  Not 
infrequently  is  it  true  that  a  well  fitted  field  fails 
in  reaching  its  best  results  because  of  too  much 
seed. 

CLASS  VII— CULTIVATION 

The  most  vital  part  of  tillage,  after  all  else  has 
been  said,  is  the  cultivation  of  the  crop. 


Progressive  Agriculture  15 

It  is  to  the  advantage  of  every  farmer  to  observe 
and  make  continual  study  of  his  work  until  he 
clearly  understands  why  any  and  all  crops  are 
cultivated  after  planting.  Each  time  there  is 
any  mechanical  work  done  the  effort  should  be  to 
better  the  soil  condition  for  healthier  and  quicker 
growth,  and  a  more  prolific  yield  from  the  plant. 
The  better  you  know  what  the  soil  conditions 
should  be  the  more  effective  will  all  your  work  be. 
To  get  the  most  good  out  of  labor  there  must  be 
timely  and  correct  application. 

Vital  questions  in  the  cultivation  of  crops,  to 
which  greatest  care  must  be  given,  are  cultiva- 
tion to  keep  the  weeds  down,  for  the  weed  pest  is 
a  growing  one;  to  keep  the  mulch  coarse  and  loose 
to  a  sufficient  depth;  and  to  prevent  as  far  as 
possible  moisture  loss  by  evaporation;  but  never 
cultivate  deep  enough  to  destroy  the  roots  of 
the  growing  plants.  Don't  let  a  crust  form  on 
the  surface  or  under  the  mulch. 

This  brief  outline  should  be  studied  well  before 
proceeding,  as  it  will  greatly  aid  the  reader  in 
understanding  and  appreciating  each  of  the  follow- 
ing chapters.  The  thoughts  involved  will  be 
developed  more  in  detail  in  various  ways  in  the 
following  chapters. 


16  Progressive  Agriculture 

CHAPTER  II 
FARM  POSSIBILITIES 

Agriculture  is  not  a  completed  or  perfected 
science.  The  end  has  not  been  reached.  We  are 
going  forward  and  every  man  who  becomes  some- 
where near  as  interested  as  Edison  has  in  elec- 
tricity, will  learn  new  and  progressive  ideas  and 
principles  for  years  to  come. 

There  is  advancement  in  other  lines  of  human 
endeavor,  in  everything  that  contributes  to  the 
convenience  and  comfort  of  the  human  race;  why 
not,  also,  in  the  art  of  aiding  Nature  in  the  pro- 
duction of  useful  crops  on  a  more  certain  basis. 
Better  and  more  profitable  farming  in  the  semi- 
humid  sections  means  a  greatly  increased  farm 
population  and  more  and  larger  towns  and  cities. 
There  are  millions  of  acres  of  unoccupied  lands, 
waiting  for  the  "Home  Maker".  Not  for  the 
man  that  ignores  better  and  more  correct  and 
appropriate  ideas  and  insists  on  redeeming  the 
country  by  very  deep  plowing  or  some  other 
notion  that  may  apply  under  30  to  50  inch  annual 
rainfall  for  he  is  liable  to  fail  just  the  same  as 
thousands  have  in  the  past.  But  to  the  man  who 
will  apply  modern  ideas,  study  the  question  care- 
fully and  continue  to  modernize,  there  are  many 
vacant  fields  that  can  be  made  to  bloom  like  Mr. 
Hahn's  rose  garden.  (See  Cut  No.  2.) 

We  are  all  by  environment  made  skeptics  and 
it  is  true  we  are  suspicious  of  any  new  idea  or 
advanced  theory.  Some  of  us  are  not  even  willing 


Progressive  Agriculture  17 

to  be  shown.  We  are  all  inclined  to  be  selfish  and 
to  be  filled  with  egotism.  Each  one  of  us  thinks 
his  way  is  the  best  and  what  he  does  is  right. 
But  mistakes  are  so  easy,  yes,  we  have  all  made 
mistakes.  And  while  we  dislike  to  admit  or  take 
the  blame  for  any  losses  from  our  mistakes,  we 
all  are  hoping  right  down  in  our  hearts  to  do  better 
and  to  accomplish  more,  yes,  much  more  some  day. 

We  do  not  want  to  stay  in  the  rut,  so  to  speak, 
however  much  we  deny  there  is  any  rut,  and  we 
note  with  pride  the  very  marked  advancement 
and  improvement  in  all  other  lines  such  as  in 
automobiles,  flying  machines,  wireless  telegraphy, 
wireless  telephones,  moving  pictures  and  phono- 
graphs, all  of  which  contribute  to  our  comfort, 
pleasure  and  entertainment,  and  we  rejoice,  then 
why  should  we  be  content  with  the  present  farm 
methods  and  their  uncertain  and  sometimes 
meager  profits. 

When  we  consider  what  has  been  done  we  can 
but  realize  there  may  be  some  further  advance- 
ment and  improvement  in  the  many  practical 
lines  of  farm  work,  if  we  put  forth  a  little  mental, 
as  well  as  physical  effort.  Observe,  see  things, 
then  do  some  real  thinking.  We  are  sure  this 
will  result  in  a  more  certain  annual  cash  income 
per  acre. 

What  was  it  that  gave  us,  only  a  few  years  ago, 
such  little  faith  in  farm  results?  Why  was  it  so 
difficult  to  keep  good  men  on  the  farms  and  at 
work  along  lines  that  we  know  ought  to  be  most 
profitable?  Why  so  much  discouragement?  Were 
it  possible  for  the  average  farmer  to  turn  to  bus- 


18  Progressive  Agriculture 

iness  and  professional  callings  and  succeed  with 
no  more  real  knowledge  of  the  business  than  is 
displayed  by  him  in  his  farm  work,  the  farming 
industry  would  long  ago  have  been  abandoned. 
Too  many  however,  have  already  tried  such  a 
change  and  find  even  greater  and  equally  per- 
plexing problems  to  be  solved.  Really,  when  we 
come  to  know  the  soil  we  find  it  more  submissive 
and  much  more  responsive  to  good  treatment  than 
the  human  race. 

The  real  fact  is  that,  as  farming  has  been  done, 
there  is  much  cause  for  discouragement  that  is 
hard  to  overcome,  and  it  is  due  to  the  occasional 
years  of  big  crops,  then  a  few  years  of  fair  crops, 
interspersed  with  crop  failures,  and  as  we  were  in- 
clined to  rely  on  the  weather,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
under  these  conditions,  as  they  have  prevailed, 
we  are  continually  out  of  balance,  in  debt  and 
faith  shaken. 

Prosperous  and  happy  farm  homes  are  the  hope 
and  ambition  of  every  man  and  his  family  who 
are  endeavoring  to  so  plan  their  labors  on  the  farm 
that  there  may  be  each  and  every  year  a  little 
surplus  profit.  Though  this  may  be  modest,  if 
it  comes  every  year  it  lends  enchantment,  but 
when  they  find  the  profits  of  two  or  three  years 
wiped  out  by  crop  failure  the  next  year,  they  not 
only  find  their  cash  short,  but  their  courage  and 
energy  depleted  and  we  all  know  what  follows. 
Not  only  is  the  home  minus  the  cash  for  the  nee- 
cessaries  and  comforts,  much  less  for  pleasures, 
but  sorrow  and  peevishness  too  often  pervade 
the  home  circle,  under  which  condition  many 


Progressive  Agricukure  19 

things  are  done  at  a  disadvantage  and  loss  until 
hope  for  better  things  almost  or  quite  fades  away. 

The  experience  of  our  New  England  fore- 
fathers was  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  point  we 
wish  to  make.  They  were  principally  farmers  on 
a  modest  scale,  they  did  not  make  much  each 
year,  but  every  year  found  their  holdings  and 
conditions  slightly  improved  because  of  the  safe 
and  sure  methods  and  contentment  and  happiness 
pervaded  every  home. 

Many  thousand  dollars  have  in  the  past  been 
loaned  for  our  western  development  by  individual 
New  England  farmers,  who  started  on  60,  80  or 
100  acres  of  timbered  land  with  little  capital  out- 
side of  a  strong  physique  and  ample  energy,  but 
from  the  start  a  little  was  added  every  year  until 
there  was  a  surplus. 

Not  that  we  would  go  back  to  the  old  narrow, 
modest  routine  grind  of  our  forefathers,  but  be- 
fore any  country,  state  or  section  can  be  on  a 
stable,  prosperous  basis,  gambling  and  extreme 
uncertainty  of  success  must  be  very  largely 
eliminated,  and  one  of  the  heavy  screws  in  the 
balance  wheel  to  this  question  is,  to  prevent  crop 
failure  or  even  a  small  crop,  and  it  is  the  ease 
with  which  we  believe  this  can  be  done  by  tillage 
of  the  right  kind  at  the  proper  time  that  prompts 
us  to  beckon  the  man  of  modest  means  to  the  new 
semi-humid  west,  and  to  say  to  those  who  are 
now  located  in  this  great  belt,  "Eureka". 

Don't  misunderstand  us.  We  wish  our  reader 
to  look  the  situation  squarely  in  the  face  and  then 
no  matter  who  you  are  or  where  you  are,  you  will 


20  Progressive  Agriculture 

not  be  disappointed  in  the  outcome.  We  shall 
show  you  big  crops  that  have  made  big  profits. 
We  have  a  few  farmers  that  are  getting  these  big 
profits  every  year,  both  in  years  of  very  light 
rainfall  and  heavy  rainfall. 

We  shall  try  to  explain  to  you  how  to  do  it, 
and  if  you  become  interested  and  really  try,  you 
can  easily  beat  any  record  we  have,  but  the  great- 
est source  of  enthusiasm  with  us  is  based  on  the 
fact  that  crop  failure  in  this  great  belt  will  not 
occur  to  any  man,  barring  hail  storms  and  cyclones 
who  becomes  familiar  with  the  principles  and 
applies  them  as  we  now  understand  them;  there- 
fore, the  possible  steady  annual  farm  profit,  so 
much  needed. 

We  personally  know  many  who  have  overcome, 
to  some  degree,  the  handicap  under  which  they 
formerly  labored,  and  by  a  little  careful  thinking 
have  vastly  improved  their  situation,  and  are 
still  improving.  They  have  endeavored  earnestly 
to  make  progress  and  to  follow  the  principles  that 
we  developed  and  commenced  to  advocate  a  good 
many  years  ago.  Many  of  them  stand  ready  to 
testify  to  the  good  results  attained  by  actually 
getting  out  of  the  old  ruts  and  applying  plain  and 
sensible  methods  to  the  newer  problems  of  their 
immediate  Me. 

SUCCESS  WITH  RIGHT  PRINCIPLES 

While  many  have  succeeded  by  following  the 
right  principles  it  is  also  a  fact  that  others  have 
honestly  but  modestly  tried  to  do  the  same  thing 
and  have  failed.  It  is  these  failures  that  have 


Progressive  Agriculture  21 

made  the  most  noise  over  the  widened  scope  of 
country  and  have  given  opportunity  for  doubters 
to  declare  there  is  nothing  in  tillage,  no  rules  can 
be  fixed,  no  way  to  succeed  in  the  semi-humid 
country,  and  that  "it  won't  work  in  drouthy 
years".  The  trouble  is  that  they  may  have  tried 
to  apply  the  principles  without  trying  to  under- 
stand them.  They  have  sought  merely  to  do  what 
they  have  supposed  was  necessary  without  really 
knowing  why,  then  followed  the  disappointment. 
This  fact  should  be  realized  at  the  outset,  that 
farming  is  one  art  where  it  may  not  be  possible 
to  lay  down  any  hard  mechanical  rules  that  will 
fit  every  case;  for  example,  a  moist  soil  may  be 
plowed  6  to  7  inches  deep  and  with  timely  tillage 
be  immediately  worked  into  a  perfect  seed  bed, 
while  the  same  soil  when  wet  or  dry  cannot. 
Many  have  tried  the  latter  and  failed  without 
realizing  that  the  mistake  in  their  own  work 
caused  the  failure.  The  same  rule  applies  in  put- 
ting the  seed  into  the  soil,  or  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  crop,  a  different  amount  of  moisture  will  bring 
different  soil  conditions  from  the  same  mechanical 
work.  Conditions  change — climate,  soil,  eleva- 
tion, water,  winds,  etc.  But  certain  general  prin- 
ciples can  be  stated  that  will  help  the  farmer  to 
meet  all  the  changing  conditions,  just  the  same  as 
the  correct  principles  were  worked  out  to  build  a 
successful  flying  machine.  This  means  simply 
the  correct  application  of  true  or  scientific  prin- 
ciples to  agriculture.  That  doesn't  mean  any- 
thing hard  to  understand,  or  for  the  use  of  college 
professors  alone;  not  at  all,  for  science  may  be 


22  Progressive  Agriculture 

simple  and  still  be  science,  it  only  means  the 
correct  way  and  time  of  doing  things. 

Those  who  chiefly  for  selfish  reasons,  decried 
all  efforts  to  improve  the  conditions  of  the  semi- 
humid  regions,  are  far  less  in  number  than  a 
few  years  ago.  When  an  extra  large  yield  of  any 
crop  is  obtained,  there  are  still  those  who  say  it  is 
impractical,  it  cost  more  than  the  crop  is  worth, 
it  don't  pay.  Hold  on,  Mr.  Pessimist;  the  next 
field  may  not  cost  as  much,  a  little  more  of  the 
know  how,  and  a  little  efficiency  may  materially 
diminish  the  cost  and  further  increase  the  next 
crop.  No  idea  was  ever  conceived,  or  learned  and 
perfected  in  a  day.  The  first  question  in  a  new 
undertaking  is,  can  it  be  done?  Then  comes  the 
efficiency  and  reduction  to  a  system  and  the 
elimination  of  cost  without  decreasing  the  value 
of  the  device  or  principle.  There  are  some  who 
continue  to  deny  that  anything  can  be  done  to 
make  matters  better.  They  refuse  to  look  about 
and  know  the  truth,  for  it  is  the  truth  that  every- 
where, all  through  the  semi-humid  region,  great 
things  have  been  accomplished  wherever  men  have 
tried  earnestly,  and  with  open  minds,  to  get  at 
the  facts.  If  you  want  to  get  at  the  true  situation 
just  call  on  any  one  of  these  farmers  who  have 
learned  the  how,  and  got  results  for  a  number  of 
years.  You  will  find  him  stronger  in  the  faith  and 
learning  more  each  year.  One  only  needs  but  to 
make  inquiry  to  find  that  very  much  progress  has 
been  made  on  sound  principles,  towards  better 
and  surer  crops  all  through  the  country. 


Progressive  Agriculture  23 

EVERY  FARMER  AN  INVESTIGATOR 

It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  most  of 
this  is  still  in  the  experimental  stage.  Every 
farmer  must  be  an  experimentor  in  his  efforts  to 
learn,  but  he  must  have  some  fundamental  prin- 
ciples upon  which  to  base  his  experiments  or  he 
is  quite  sure  to  go  wrong  either  in  his  work  or  in 
his  conclusions  as  to  the  why  of  his  results.  He 
must  study  and  investigate,  if  he  fails,  try  to 
find  out  why  he  failed.  Don't  give  up.  Every 
little  helps.  A  great  deal  more  in  the  future  is  to 
come  right  from  the  farms  as  the  result  of  in- 
telligence, tillage  and  observation  by  good  think- 
ing, persistent  farmers,  than  any  other  way, 
because  such  individual  farmers  go  at  the  experi- 
ments in  a  practical  way  and  his  observing  neigh- 
bors, hungry  for  information,  take  note  and 
appreciate  a  neighbor's  advice. 

It  is  said  that  before  Edison  produced  the  first 
successful  incandescent  light,  he  had  used  in  his 
experiments  over  three  thousand  elements  or 
combinations  of  elements.  Why  did  he  persist  in 
so  many  trials,  in  face  of  repeated  failures?  He 
believed  it  could  be  done,  and  he  did  it.  So,  too, 
can  the  farmers  all  solve  the  question  of  surer 
and  better  crops  at  a  lower  cost.  The  pessimist 
who  watched  Edison  finally  saw  a  bright  light, 
later  he  saw  a  still  brighter  one,  and  then  a  much 
brighter  one,  for  not  only  has  the  first  Edison 
light  been  many  times  Improved  and  made  better, 
but  the  cost  of  the  light  and  globes  have  steadily 
decreased  through  other  ingenious  and  advanced 


24  Progressive  Agriculture 

ideas  not  at  first  thought  of.  The  same  will  be 
true  of  the  farmer  of  the  semi-humid  west  and  it 
is  through  more  timely  and  more  correct  tillage 
that  shall  more  accurately  utilize  nature's  elements 
that  we  can  and  will  populate  these  prairies  with 
prosperous  farmers,  and  beautiful  farm  homes, 
and  happy  will  be  the  farmer  and  his  family  who 
grasps  these  principles  and  gets  busy. 

In  the  following  pages  we  shall  deal  with  the 
whole  subject  broadly.  We  will  present  all  the 
results  of  our  later  observations  and  the  selection 
of  correct  principles,  and  this  with  a  better  under- 
standing of  some  of  the  earlier  ideas  we  have  put 
forth,  we  hope  to  clearly  explain  to  the  farmer 
the  more  advanced  ideas  and  how  he  can  carry 
out  experiments  in  soil  tillage  and  learn  how  with 
greater  certainty  to  reach  the  maximum  yield 
at  a  minimum  cost  each  and  every  year,  and 
crop  failure  in  the  semi-humid  west  be  a  thing  of 
the  past.  Experiments  should  be  small  to  begin 
with,  not  that  the  principles  may  be  wrong,  but 
you  may  not  have  a  correct  understanding  of 
every  detail.  It  is  with  practical  experience  and 
observation  that  the  perplexing  questions  are 
cleared  up  and  when  clearly  understood  one 
frequently  wonders  why  he  did  not  so  understand 
it  before. 

Remember  this  is  the  age  of  progression,  the 
old  heads  of  our  largest  business  institutions  are 
hiring  experts  on  special  lines  at  fabulous  salaries 
to  promote  the  methods  of  advanced  efficiency 
and  greater  economy;  in  short,  the  heads  of  every 
known  enterprise,  business  or  profession  are  try- 


Progressive  Agriculture  25 

ing  to  better  know  their  business  and  how  to 
more  profitably  run  it. 

Once  you  learn  how  to  increase  not  only  the 
magnitude  but  certainty  of  the  crop  or  decrease 
the  cost,  it  will  not  only  be  your  perpetual  profit, 
but  to  your  children  and  grandchildren  will 
come  greater  profits  made  possible  by  you. 

MR.  G.  w.  HAHN'S  HOME 

Mr.  G.  W.  Hahn  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
came  to  Yuma,  Colo,  in  the  spring  of  1910  and 
filed  his  homestead  claim  on  160  acres  of  land  6 
miles  northeast  of  Yuma,  Colo.  Coming  from 
eastern  Nebraska,  with  a  very  modest  amount  of 
money  that  he  had  accumulated  by  several  years' 
renting  land,  Mr.  Hahn  came  there  with  the  idea 
that  he  could  at  least  make  a  living  for  his  family 
and  have  a  home  of  his  own.  After  learning 
something  of  the  possibilities  of  the  right  kind  of 
tillage  in  growing  trees,  crops  and  vegetables,  he 
got  busy. 

Mr.  Hahn  has  made  a  success  of  wheat  and  other 
crops  and  is  now  quite  well  supplied  with  hogs 
and  cattle.  In  1914  his  40  acre  summer  tilled 
field  of  winter  wheat  averaged  41|  bushels  per 
acre.  But  Mr.  Hahn  has  turned  some  of  his 
good  judgment  to  another  line,  that  of  having  a 
real  home  with  not  only  civilized  but  beautiful 
surroundings. 

Note  Cut  No.  2,  which  shows  only  half  of  his 
front  yard,  as  the  other  side  of  the  walk  is  just 
the  same.  This  picture  was  taken  June  29,  1914, 
a  somewhat  dry  year.  One  rose  bush  near  the 


26  Prgroessive  Agriculture 

center  had  at  that  time  43  double  roses  in  full 
bloom.  To  the  right  is  his  small  fruit,  also  a 
modest  grape  arbor  and  still  further  to  the  right 
his  vegetable  garden,  and  all  were  equally  as 
prolific  as  this  flower  garden,  no  irrigation  what- 
ever is  or  has  been  resorted  to  for  the  flowers, 
fruit  or  vegetables.  Tillage  of  the  right  kind 
changed  the  bleak,  short  grass  prairie  to  this 
beautiful  home  in  4  years.  No  one  ever  visits 
the  Hahn  home  in  the  summer  season  and  goes 
away  without  a  bouquet. 

Cut  No.  4  shows  the  corner  of  Mr.  Hahn's  farm 
as  well  as  the  yard  surrounding  his  home.  This 
picture  was  a^o  taken  June  29,  1914.  Note  the 
sign  over  the  gate,  "ROSE  HILL  FARM". 
The  name  is  very  appropriate  in  every  way 
except  the  hill  and  yet  close  observation  detects 
the  fact  that  he  is  on  a  slight  swell. 

Cut  No.  5  shows  a  row  of  Mr.  Hahn's  apple 
trees  five  years  old,  photographed  July  11,  1915. 
To  the  right  and  back  of  the  front  tree  can  be 
seen  the  home.  Why  did  not  the  earlier  settlers 
have  such  homes?  Was  the  rainfall  too  light? 
Oh  no;  statistics  show  that  the  average  rainfall 
from  1910  to  1914  inclusive  was  slightly  lower 
than  any  previous  five  years  recorded,  and  these 
are  the  years  that  Mr.  Hahn  got  his  convincing 
results,  due  not  to  weather  conditions  but  kind 
and  time  of  tillage.  Mr.  Hahn  said  in  a  letter 
dated,  June  29,  1915: 

"One  year  ago  today,  you  took  your  first  pic- 
ture of  our  trees  and  flower  garden,  we  have  had 
more  than  twice  as  much  rain  but  nothing  looks 


Progressive  Agriculture  27 

as  good  as  last  year.  We  can't  cultivate,  it's  too 
wet.  I  see  now  the  correctness  of  a  statement  I 
heard  you  make  three  years  ago,  that  sometime 
the  people  would  realize  that  the  light  rainfall  of 
northeast  Colorado  was  a  blessing  in  disguise. 
I  see  it  now;  give  me  the  dryer  years.  Yours  for 
more  knowledge  in  Tillage,— G.  W.  HAHN." 


CHAPTER  III 

PREPARATION  BEFORE  SEEDING 

The  early  spring  fitting  of  the  soil  has  been 
given  far  too  little  attention  in  the  past.  The 
control  and  utility  of  soil  water  is  and  has  been 
the  most  neglected  part  in  crop  production.  For 
years  we  have  depended  on  the  climatic  conditions 
as  the  ruling  factor  in  crop  production;  this 
theory  has  cost  the  semi-humid  west  many  a  heart- 
ache and  millions  of  money.  The  solution  of  this 
whole  problem  is  a  better  knowledge  of  the 
necessary  physical  condition  of  the  soil  for  the 
better  control  of  soil  water  and  how  by  tillage,  to 
obtain  it.  Some  advantages  of  this  have  been 
secured  by  many  farmers  through  a  modest  prac- 
tice of  early  spring  disking;  yet  the  real  value 
of  early  spring  tillage  and  the  continued  careful 
handling  of  the  fields  up  to  planting  time,  is  by 
no  means  understood  or  appreciated  by  the  masses. 
There  is  unlimited  evidence  that  it  cannot  be 
too  strongly  advocated  and  adhered  to  in  almost 


28  Progressive  Agriculture 

any  farming  section.  More  especially  is  this  true 
under  semi-humid  conditions.  If  the  principles  as 
outlined  under  this  heading,  are  carefully  observed 
and  carried  out,  it  will  go  a  long  way  towards,  if 
not  completely  defeat  the  ill  effect  of  any  drouthy 
condition  on  good  soil  or  in  any  locality  with  an 
average  annual  rainfall  of  15  inches  or  more. 

We  shall  divide  this  preparatory  tillage  into 
three  distinct  classes:  Spring  tillage,  for  spring 
and  early  summer  planting;  summer  tillage  for 
fall  seeding  of  winter  wheat,  oats  or  rye;  and  fall 
tillage  for  other  crops  to  follow  the  one  just 
harvested. 

The  continued  careful  work  referred  to  does  not 
necessarily  mean  a  greatly  increased  amount  of 
labor,  but  it  has  reference  more  to  timeliness  and 
the  right  kind  of  work.  It  is  not  uncommon  for 
a  farmer  in  the  start  to  put  on  his  field  untimely 
as  well  as  so  much  work  that  it  is  a  detriment. 
Economy  in  labor  adds  to  the  cash  profit  just  the 
same  as  increased  crop  yield,  but  one  must  not 
economize  in  labor  at  the  cost  of  a  lesser  yield  in 
the  end.  Don't  let  one  dollar's  worth  of  extra 
timely  work  loom  up  so  high  that  you  can't  see 
beyond  it  five  dollars  more  crop  yield  in  return. 

SPRING  TILLAGE 

Spring  tillage  is  a  somewhat  new  departure  as 
its  object  is  to  make  it  possible  to  grow  spring 
planted  crops  every  year  in  much  of  the  semi- 
humid  section.  Our  three  years  of  extensive 
experiments  just  past  indicate  that  it  promises 
much  more  than  our  plan  of  summer  tilling  out- 


Progressive  Agriculture  29 

lined  some  years  ago,  emphatically  so  to  the  new 
beginner  and  to  the  man  who  has  hogs  and  cows. 

In  discussing  this  topic  what  we  wish  to  consider 
first  is  how  to  most  successfully  and  economically 
conserve  as  far  as  possible  all  the  rainfall.  Second, 
how  to  utilize  this  moisture  to  the  best  advantage 
in  building  up  the  soil  and  increasing  the  available 
plant  food.  Third,  how  to  get  the  seed  and  root 
bed  in  the  most  ideal  condition  possible  for 
quick  germination,  and  a  rapid  healthy  growth. 
We  hold  to  the  importance  of  keeping  the  surface 
soil  loose  and  allowing  no  weeds  to  grow,  that  the 
same  moisture  may  be  held  in  the  top  firm  soil 
until  not  only  this  soil  has  become  well  wanned, 
but  the  weather  has  settled  down  to  a  more  steady 
warm  temperature,  when  a  much  greater  per  cent 
of  plant  food  will  be  continuously  available. 
Then  during  the  prolonged  period  of  spring  tillage 
there  may  be  added  more  spring  moisture,  and  by 
holding  this  condition  for  4  to  possibly  8  weeks 
before  planting,  depending  on  both  the  kind  of 
crop  and  location,  you  can  produce  three  to  six 
times  the  growth  as  has  been  the  common  ex- 
perience with  the  same  rainfall,  the  result  of  a 
more  complete  utilizing  of  the  soil  water  and  a 
greater  increase  of  available  plant  food. 

All  cultivated  land  especially  if  intended  for 
the  spring  crop  should  receive  attention  just  as 
early  in  the  spring  as  it  is  possible  to  do  anything. 
Fall  plowed  land  should  be  loosened  rather  shal- 
low, but  land  not  fall  plowed  should  be  double 
disked  as  early  as  soil  conditions  will  permit. 

The  tandem  or  double-disk,  (See  Cut  No.  23.) 


30  Progressive  Agriculture 

is  the  most  effective  for  double-disking  in  the  fields, 
as  it  is  more  easily  regulated  as  to  the  proper 
depth,  draws  lighter  in  proportion  to  the  work  it 
does  and  leaves  the  surface  leveler  than  the  single 
disk.  As  a  rule  it  is  not  desirable  to  disk  deeply 
in  early  spring,  but  more  on  the  shallow  order. 
With  a  reasonably  level  surface,  two  and  one-half 
inches  into  the  soil  is  ample,  but  do  not  as  a  rule, 
cut  very  much  less  in  depth,  too  shallow  is  as 
serious  as  too  deep.  Above  all  things,  do  not  leave 
any  uncultivated  spots. 

Do  not  follow  the  disk  with  a  spike  tooth  or 
smoothing  harrow,  as  this  is  liable  to  make  the 
surface  too  fine,  and  a  fine  dust-like  surface  does 
not  hold  the  moisture  as  well  as  a  coarser  mulch. 
Besides,  the  fine  mulch  is  more  susceptible  to 
blowing,  and  last  but  not  least  it  is  more  certain 
to  be  puddled  and  packed  by  fairly  heavy  showers, 
(See  Cut  No.  9)  which  means  also  that  a  smaller 
quantity  of  the  water  will  be  taken  in  from  the 
rains,  since  more  of  it  will  run  off  the  puddled 
surface  of  the  field  and  be  lost,  and  then  another 
cultivation  will  be  required  as  soon  as  the  surface 
is  sufficiently  dry. 

The  coarser  mulch  is,  therefore,  more  econom- 
ical, as  it  takes  in  the  rains  more  readily,  saves 
more  of  the  water  and  requires  less  labor.  With 
the  coarser  mulch,  several  light  rains  may  fall 
without  seriously  affecting  the  protection  of  the 
moisture  by  the  mulch;  (See  Cut  No.  8),  while 
the  fine  dust  like  mulch  is  usually  put  out  of 
commission  by  one  modest  shower. 

At  no  time  of  the  season  is  the  danger  of  loss 


Progressive  Agriculture  31 

of  water  more  vital  than  during  the  early  spring 
winds  and  bright  sunshine.  That  is  why  the 
early  use  of  the  disk  is  so  very  important. 

In  case  the  farmer  is  planning  to  plant  corn  with 
a  lister  months  later,  plowing  is  not  desirable  and 
this  early  disking  and  continued  spring  tillage, 
until  soil  is  warm,  is  vital  to  large  yields  and 
certainty  of  a  profitable  crop.  One  careful  trial 
will  convince.  If,  however,  the  farmer  expects  to 
plow  the  ground  for  oats,  potatoes,  checkrowed 
corn,  feterita,  sudan  grass,  hog  millet  or  any  other 
crop,  the  early  disking  is  of  great  importance. 
In  fact,  without  this  early  disking  followed  with 
later  timely  spring  tillage  to  keep  the  surface 
loose  and  prevent  the  loss  of  water  and  the  weeds 
growing,  the  soil  will  deteriorate  before  planting 
time,  and  its  available  water  and  plant  food  will 
be  less.  This  would  mean  that  the  crop  would  be 
smaller  no  matter  what  the  season  may  be,  but 
very  much  less,  or  a  possible  failure,  in  a  drouthy 
year. 

Early  and  continued  spring  tillage  not  only  con- 
serves the  moisture,  but  aids  in  warming  the  soil. 
As  previously  stated,  every  act  of  preparation  of 
the  soil,  disking,  plowing,  packing  and  surface 
cultivation,  should  be  done  with  a  full  under- 
standing of  its  purpose  or  object.  The  entire 
work  must  be  done  to  improve  the  soil  condition 
with  special  effort  to  obtain  the  fine  firm  seed  and 
root  bed  with  loose  coarse  mulch.  All  stages  of 
this  work  if  done,  so  far  as  possible,  at  a  time 
when  the  soil  is  moist,  will  then  be  more  suscept- 
ible to  the  desired  effect  of  the  implement  used. 


32  Progressive  Agriculture 

All  this  aids  in  obtaining  a  higher  degree  of 
warmth  and  the  proper  per  cent  of  moisture,  both 
of  which  are  so  necessary  in  increasing  the  avail- 
able plant  food.  Timeliness  in  tillage  and  not 
quantity  of  work  is  the  essence  of  success  in  this. 

Land  that  is  to  be  planted  to  small  grain  or 
checkrowed  corn,  should  be  plowed  fairly  early 
after  the  early  disking,  in  fact  the  earlier  it  is 
plowed,  providing  the  soil  is  moist,  the  greater 
are  the  chances  for  a  more  ideal  seed  bed  at 
planting  time,  both  from  more  tillage  and  a 
greater  possible  rain,  good  rains  are  necessary 
after  plowing  to  obtain  the  most  ideal  seed  beds. 

The  farmer  must  grasp  at  once  in  connection 
with  this  idea  of  more  and  better  tillage  before 
planting,  the  fact  that  it  takes  a  larger  number  of 
days  to  grow  and  mature  a  plant  if  the  seed  is 
planted  early  in  a  cold,  half  prepared,  dead, 
clammy  soil  than  if  planted  later  in  a  live  warm 
soil.  Warmth  gives  energy  to  the  soil  and  energy 
stimulates  growth,  and  the  coaching  of  this 
energy  by  the  right  kind  of  spring  tillage,  is 
wonderfully  effective. 

Plowing  should  be  a  fair  depth  from  5  to  7 
inches,  depending  on  conditions  previously  re- 
ferred to,  but  do  not  leave  the  freshly  plowed 
ground  to  dry  out,  follow  closely  with  the  sub- 
surface packer  or  disk  set  straight.  Remember, 
you  are  now  preparing  the  seed  and  root  bed  in 
which  the  plants  are  to  be  born,  fed  and  matured. 
Don't  make  any  mistakes.  For  later  cultivation 
and  before  planting  the  Acme  harrow  is  very  good, 
(See  Cut  No.  35),  as  it  tends  to  turn  the  live  moist 


Progressive  Agriculture  33 

dirt  at  the  bottom  of  the  mulch  up  to  the  top  and 
leaves  the  firm  soil  underneath  level.  Continue 
this  spring  tillage  at  necessary  times  until  the  time 
of  planting.  It  is  the  open  door  to  better  crops 
every  year  instead  of  every  other  year.  Don't 
let  the  weeds  grow,  and  get  it  thoroughly  fixed  in 
your  mind,  that  if  your  tillage  efforts  are  well 
directed  you  are  continually  adding  to  the 
elements,  and  improving  the  condition  necessary 
for  a  big  crop  as  you  carry  this  work  on  into  the 
warm  spring  weather  to  the  time  of  planting  sug- 
gested for  the  different  crops  referred  to  later  on. 

SUMMER  TILLAGE 

Summer  tillage  should  be  identical  with  spring 
tillage  in  the  start,  for  recent  experience  points 
to  the  great  value  of  the  early  thorough  work. 
The  plowing,  however,  in  summer  tillage  should 
be  delayed  and  the  disk  used  mainly  during  the 
early  spring.  In  short  summer  tillage  is  a  con- 
tinuation of  spring  tillage  for  fall  seeding. 

Where  summer  tillage  is  planned,  the  early 
spring  disking  should  be  rather  shallow  so  that 
later  disking  can  be  slightly  deeper,  thereby 
throwing  a  little  live  moist  soil  on  the  top,  for 
the  double  purpose  of  keeping  the  mulch  coarser, 
to  prevent  blowing,  and  to  keep  the  surface 
more  open  to  admit  later  rains.  It  is  better  to 
use  the  disk  mainly  or  entirely  when  possible  up 
to  the  time  of  plowing.  There  again,  timeliness  is 
more  than  quantity  of  work. 


34  Progressive  Agriculture 

PLOWING     THE     SUMMER     TILLED     LAND 

Plowing  as  a  rule,  in  the  central  west  should  be 
in  early  June;  later  plowing  is  somewhat  risky, 
for  if  the  rains  do  not  come  the  excessive  heat  later 
on,  last  of  July  or  in  August,  may  dry  out  the 
plowed  portion  to  that  degree  that  practically 
no  chemical  or  bacterial  action  will  take  place. 
If  there  is  no  weed  growth  to  bother  your  field, 
for  a  considerable  time  after  plowing,  you  may 
know  your  seed  and  root  bed  is  not  up  to  the  stand- 
ard; therefore  when  the  wheat  or  other  seed  is 
deposited  in  such  seed  beds  the  germination  and 
growth  is  very  slow  and  stooling  very  little  in 
the  fall.  The  same  will  be  proportionately  true 
in  the  early  growth  the  following  spring.  At  any 
time  and  in  many  seasons  of  the  year  when  you 
are  preparing  your  seed  bed  you  must  keep  close 
tab  on  the  real  condition  you  are  getting  your 
soil  into.  This  real  soil  condition  must  also  be 
given  due  consideration  in  deciding  the  quantity 
of  seed  to  be  put  in  per  acre,  and  more  especially 
so  in  fall  seeding  for  winter  wheat.  Fields  with 
unfavorable  conditions  require  more  seed. 

Be  sure  to  follow  the  plow  closely  with  some 
method  of  packing  the  bottom  of  the  furrow,  but 
don't  attempt  to  do  it  by  pulling  any  solid  roller 
or  clod  crusher  over  the  field  for  it  only  firms  the 
top  and  does  not  pack  the  bottom,  which  is  the 
vital  point  and  especially  so  if  you  have  plowed 
five  inches  or  more  in  depth. 

There  have  been  some  mistakes  made  in  the 
past  by  using  the  sub-surface  packer,  after  the 


Progressive  Agriculture  35 

plowing  had  lain  long  enough  to  become  some- 
what dry,  under  which  conditions  the  soil  would 
not  respond  to  the  pressure  of  the  wheels  and  the 
very  under  portion  would  not  become  firm.  There- 
fore, if  a  dry  season  followed,  the  desired  effect 
was  lost  and  the  packer  condemned  because  it 
did  not  do  what  could  not  be  done. 

Another  very  serious  mistake,  after  the  sub- 
surface packer  has  been  used  effectively,  the  top 
may  become  packed  by  later  rains.  Now  with  the 
lower  portion  of  the  furrow  made  firm  by  the  sub- 
surface packer,  when  the  top  becomes  dissolved 
and  packed  by  heavy  rains,  as  it  will,  especially 
if  a  free  use  of  the  spike  tooth  harrow  has  made 
the  mulch  fine,  you  then  have  the  most  serious 
condition,  because  it  so  greatly  aids  the  upward 
movement  of  moisture  by  capillary  attraction  to 
the  surface  and  direct  loss  by  evaporation.  This 
water  brings  to  the  surface  alkali,  magnesia  and 
other  salts  of  the  soil  in  a  dissolved  or  soluable 
form,  and  when  the  steam  or  vapor  leaves  the 
surface  the  dry  salts  are  left  between  the  soil 
grains.  This  with  the  loss  of  the  moisture  causes 
a  most  unfavorable  condition  for  the  growth  and 
maturity  of  the  plant.  Do  such  conditions  give 
ground  for  the  argument,  that  there  are  times  the 
subsurface  packer  should  not  be  used?  It  certainly 
does  not.  The  things  that  should  not  have  been 
done  were  first,  not  to  allow  the  surface  to  be- 
come so  fine  that  rains  would  settle  it  so  firm; 
second,  not  to  allow  the  surface  to  remain  firm 
after  the  rain. 

A  mulch  should  be  kept  over  the  surface  as  near 


36  Progressive  Agriculture 

two  and  a  half  inches  deep  as  conditions  will 
permit  and  all  possible  effort  put  forth  to  leave  it 
reasonably  coarse.  Another  important  thing  is, 
do  not  let  the  weeds  grow.  A  few  weeds  will 
make  several  bushels  difference  in  the  yield.  If 
weeds  persist  in  growing,  it  is  an  indication  of  a 
good  seed  bed  and  that  plant  food  is  being  in- 
creased, therefore,  get  busy,  for  the  more  the  weeds 
take  of  this  the  less  you  will  have  for  the  crop. 
Then  if  the  weeds  get  any  size  they  will  not  only 
utilize  plant  food  but  deplete  the  moisture  to 
such  a  degree  as  to  check  bacterial  or  chemical 
action.  Watch  these  points  closely.  A  little 
timely  work  prevents  all  these  unfavorable  con- 
ditions and  means  many  more  bushels  of  grain. 
While  it  is  true  that  early  June  plowing  followed 
by  persistent  work  to  get  the  lower  portion  of  the 
furrow  fine  and  firm  will  tend  to  more  weed  growth, 
yet  if  the  weeds  are  kept  down  andfsoil  mulch 
loose  to  a  depth  of  about  two  and  a  half  inches,  a 
more  ideal  seed  and  root  bed  will  be  obtained  and 
an  increased  amount  of  plant  food  will  be  avail- 
able. This  fact  leads  to  an  important  question 
which  will  be  more  fully  discussed  later  on  and 
that  is  quantity  of  seed.  Too  frequently  we  find 
the  farmer  sowing  20  pounds  of  fall  wheat  per  acre 
with  little  regard  to  the  real  soil  condition  ob- 
tained. Summer  tillage  may  be  so  handled  that 
12  to  15  pounds  of  winter  wheat  per  acre  planted 
reasonably  early  would  stool  so  liberally  that  it 
would  have  to  be  disked  in  the  spring  to  thin  it; 
while  a  less  carefully  handled  field  might  be  seeded 
a  little  later  with  25  to  30  pounds  of  seed  and  yet 


Progressive  Agriculture  37 

be  none  too  thick.  These  facts  mean  very  much 
and  must  be  duly  considered,  in  case  of  late  seed- 
ing to  keep  clear  of  the  ravages  of  the  Hessian  fly 
more  seed  would  be  necessary. 

FALL  TILLAGE 

Fall  tillage  as  we  wish  to  indicate,  refers  to  the 
work  following  the  harvest  of  one  crop  and  the 
preparation  of  the  land  for  the  next  crop,  whether 
it  be  for  fall  or  spring  planting.  The  first  very 
important  step  is  to  follow  the  harvester  with  the 
disk  harrow,  as  shown  in  Cut  No.  21  showing 
engine  pulling  harvester  and  tandem  disk,  and 
Cut  No.  22  showing  horses  pulling  tandem  disk. 
There  is  no  time  when  ample  moisture  means 
more  in  the  soil  than  during  the  hot  weather 
following  the  cutting  of  a  crop  of  small  grain  in 
July  or  August.  This  is  especially  true  of  winter 
wheat  fields. 

Many  have  said  in  the  past,  "  What's  the  use 
of  disking  dry  ground  behind  the  harvester? " 
This  points  to  the  honest,  but  stubborn  belief  of 
men  who  have  never  watched  the  effect  of  such 
work.  We  have  repeatedly  observed  the  soil  dry 
at  the  bottom  of  the  disked  stubble  ground  just 
as  the  disk  harrow  passed  over  reasonably  close 
to  the  harvester  and  then  again,  at  the  end  of  ten 
days  or  two  weeks,  even  though  it  was  hot,  dry 
weather  and  no  rain,  and  the  result  of  the  upward 
movement  of  moisture  by  capillary  attraction 
found  this  same  firm  soil  moist  enough  to  plow 
well. 

It  is  the  accumulation  of  this  moisture  in  this 


38  Progressive  Agriculture 

very  warm  soil  held  there  by  the  mulch  loosened 
by  the  disk  that  sets  the  little  micro-organisms 
busy  building  up  the  life  and  energy  in  the  soil. 

Another  very  important  point  is  that  the  mulch 
formed  by  the  stubble  being  mixed  into  this 
loosened  surface  which  is  not  readily  settled  or 
packed  by  almost  any  number  of  rains,  does  readily 
take  in  each  rain  and  when  the  water  comes  in 
contact  with  the  firm  but  moist  soil  below  the 
mulch,  it  percolates  down  more  readily  and  deeper. 
All  the  moisture  you  store  in  your  soil  is  like  so 
much  cash  in  the  bank. 

When  the  top  soil  is  not  disked  but  left  hard, 
soon  after  harvest  it  is  not  infrequently  found  dry 
down  four  to  six  inches.  Following  this  condition 
there  may  be  quite  a  rain  and  in  two  days  of  hot 
sun  it  is  all  gone,  because  it  goes  into  the  dry,  firm 
soil  so  very  slow  that  the  heat  of  the  summer  sun 
aided  by  the  reflection  of  the  glossy  stubble  takes 
it  up  quickly.  Remember  a  little  moisture 
sometimes  means  very  much. 

Following  this  disking  and  before  you  are  ready 
to  plow  one  or  two  heavy  rains  may  come,  then 
the  weeds  may  start.  Do  not  let  these  weeds 
grow  to  any  size.  You  have  already  been  to  the 
expense  of  one  disking  for  a  worthy  purpose,  now 
don't  let  the  weeds  later  on,  utilize  this  moisture 
and  dry  out  the  land  then  try  to  plow  and  say 
there  is  no  value  to  disking  after  the  harvester, 
for  the  worthless  weeds  have  robbed  you.  Give 
the  field  another  double-disking  if  you  are  not 
ready  to  plow  at  once.  At  all  hazards,  don't  let 
the  weeds  grow,  and  then  think  you  are  adding 


Progressive  Agriculture  39 

something  to  your  soil  by  turning  under  green 
weeds. 

We  have  repeatedly  seen  fields  that  were  well 
double-disked  following  the  harvester  in  July  in 
elegant  condition  and  being  plowed  four  to  six 
weeks  later  with  soil  rolling  over  nice  and  moist, 
when  adjoining  fields  not  thus  treated  were  so 
dry  and  hard  that  plowing  was  impossible. 

Do  not  forget  the  following  seven  advantages 
in  double-disking  after  the  harvester. 

1.  Retains  the  moisture  you  may  need  next 
year. 

2.  Soil  becomes  moist  while  very  warm  and 
more  plant  food  is  made  available. 

3.  Soil  becomes  moist  and  plowing  can  be  suc- 
cessfully done  earlier  and  later. 

4.  Prolongs  the  period  of  good  plowing. 

5.  Soil  plowed  mo  st  can  be  worked  down  into 
a  good  seed  bed  while  dry  soil  cannot. 

6.  Moist  soil  saves  plow  shears  and  horse  power. 

7.  It  all  sums  up  into  a  foundation  for  bigger 
and  better  crops  next  year. 

PLOWING  FOR  WINTER  WHEAT 

Plowing  in  fall  tilling  for  wheat  should  begin  as 
soon  after  harvest  as  the  soil  is  sufficiently  moist 
to  permit  good  plowing.  If  the  land  has  been 
well  handled  and  a  fair  amount  of  moisture  had 
fallen  prior  to  harvest  and  the  wheat  field  disked 
after  the  harvester,  there  will  soon  be  found 
moisture  enough  to  plow  well.  The  depth  of 
plowing  should  be  from  5  to  7  inches  depending, 
as  previously  stated,  upon  soil  conditions.  Follow- 


40  Progressive  Agriculture 

ing  the  plowing  should  come  the  working  down  of 
the  lower  portion  of  the  furrow  slice.  Very  much 
depends  on  this  as  to  the  amount  of  seed  per  acre. 
With  all  sub-packing  that  can  be  done  on  fall 
plowing  for  fall  wheat  seeding,  nothing  can  com- 
plete the  work  quite  like  a  good  rain  (but  such 
rain  don't  come  to  order)  that  freely  percolates 
down  through  the  coarse  mulch  and  to  a  more  or 
less  degree  dissolves  and  settles  the  lower  part  of 
the  plowing.  Its  great  value  depends,  of  course, 
upon  how  soon  after  the  plowing  it  comes  and  how 
much  falls. 

After  the  rain,  if  a  heavy  one,  the  top  should  be 
loosened  again.  Some  judgment  must  be  used 
at  this  point.  While  it  is  desirable  to  have  the 
seed  bed  fine,  the  top  or  mulch  should  be  kept 
somewhat  coarse. 

For  further  information  see  chapter  on  growing 
wheat. 


CHAPTER  IV 

CORN  AND  STAPLE  CROP 

Corn  is  one  of  the  essential  crops  of  successful 
agriculture.  In  almost  every  farming  region, 
though  wheat  may  be  the  farmer's  staple  crop, 
he  must  have  a  few  hogs,  cows  and  also  teams  to 
do  his  work,  and  corn  is  one  of  the  grains  much 
needed  for  feed.  In  addition  it  is  a  fact,  that  suc- 
cessful and  safe  farming  must  be  backed  by  stock 
and  dairy  products.  Therefore,  the  absolute 
necessity  of  ample  quantities  of  good  corn. 


Progressive  Agriculture  41 

In  the  chapter  on  preparation  of  the  soil  we 
have  briefly  outlined  the  necessary  early  work 
which  applies  to  planting  corn  with  lister,  in 
which  case  plowing  is  not  necessary.  While  we 
do  not  object  to  fall  plowing  for  corn,  yet  we  are 
of  the  opinion  that  where  spring  plowing  is  done 
reasonably  early  and  is  preceded  with  thorough 
but  not  deep  disking  and  followed  closely  with 
plenty  of  harrowing  and  later  timely  tillage,  that 
spring  plowing  is  best. 

As  to  depth  of  plowing  observe  what  is  said 
under  Class  III. 

As  to  check  row  planting  as  opposed  to  use  of  the 
lister  or  drilling,  we  are  still  somewhat  in  favor  of 
check  rowing  for  corn  in  all  the  semi-humid 
sections.  But  the  farmer  must  be  equipped  with 
the  proper  tools  and  continue  the  cultivation 
with  proper  care  until  the  corn  is  practically 
made.  However,  if  you  wish  to  put  the  corn  in 
the  ground  and  let  Providence  take  care  of  it,  we 
would  advise  the  listing  plan,  as  providence 
would  have  a  better  chance  than  if  the  field  was 
check  rowed. 

SEED  CORN 

In  selecting  seed  corn  to  plant  outside  of  the 
corn  belt  proper,  and  in  higher  altitudes,  or 
farther  north,  and  as  you  change  in  location  to- 
ward the  two  points  referred  to,  study  the  con- 
ditions that  are  found  and  do  not  make  too  radical 
a  change  in  the  seed.  Do  not  select  too  large 
varieties  for  the  dryer  or  higher  sections  but  look 
for  a  slightly  smaller  ear  with  early  maturing 


42  Progressive  Agriculture 

qualities.  Keep  in  mind  especially  the  average 
annual  rainfall  of  your  own  locality,  and  the  fact 
that  the  larger  the  growth  of  foliage  the  more 
moisture  is  needed  and  the  less  moisture  is  left 
for  use  in  maturing  the  ears  and  grain.  This  is 
important  should  you  be  confronted  with  the 
usual  drouthy  conditions  in  mid-summer. 

With  the  smaller  stalk,  other  important  matters 
considered,  the  corn  might  produce  in  average 
seasons,  one  8-ounce  ear  to  each  stalk.  Under 
same  conditions  the  larger  variety  with  taller 
stalk  and  heavy  foliage  might  possibly  produce 
an  average  of  one  10-ounce  ear  to  two  stalks. 
This  would  be  little  more  than  half  the  yield  of 
corn,  which  is  quite  in  accord  with  our  observa- 
tions covering  many  experiments  under  various 
conditions. 

Above  all  other  things  secure,  if  possible,  ac- 
climated seed  corn;  but  if  this  is  not  available 
next  in  consideration  is  a  seed  that  has  been 
grown  as  nearly  as  possible  under  conditions 
simrar  to  that  in  your  fields. 

The  selection  of  the  earliest  well  developed, 
uniform  ears  from  strong,  healthy,  prolific  plants 
in  your  own  fields,  after  you  get  a  desirable 
variety,  is  also  very  important.  The  development 
and  planting  of  acclimated  seed  is  one  of  the  main 
factors  making  it  possible  to  successfully  carry 
the  limits  of  the  corn  belt  farther  north  and  to 
higher  altitudes,  something  regarded  a  few  years 
ago  theoretically  as  an  impossibility,  but  stands 
today  demonstrated  as  a  possibility. 


Progressive  Agriculture  43 

THICK  OR  THIN  PLANTING 

The  number  of  stalks  per  acre  is  another  very 
vital  question  to  consider  in  corn  growing  under 
semi-humid  conditions.  With  corn  checked  3 
feet  and  6  inches  each  way  and  two  stalks  to  a 
hill,  there  would  be  7,112  stalks  per  acre,  which  is 
ample  stand  for  a  30-inch  average  rainfall.  If 
listed  3  feet  6  inches  apart  and  one  grain  dropped 
every  21  inches  there  would  be  the  same  number 
of  stalks  to  the  acre.  With  one  8-ounce  ear  per 
stalk  you  would  have  a  yield  of  63  bushels  per 
acre — remember  an  8-ounce  ear  is  moderately 
small,  a  12-ounce  ear  is  only  modestly  fair  size 

But  this  is  too  many  stalks  by  at  least  a  third 
for  a  section  with  only  16  to  20  inches  of  annual 
rainfall. 

It  is  true  that  many  corn  fields  in  the  semi- 
humid  sections  may  not  average  more  than  4,556 
stalks  to  the  acre,  under  conditions  of  planting 
as  above.  But  are  they  evenly  distributed — well, 
hardly  ever. 

Too  thin  a  stand,  however,  has  its  disadvantages 
the  same  as  too  thick;  an  even  stand  over  the 
entire  field  is  more  important  under  semi-humid 
conditions  than  where  ample  rains  are  more 
dependable,  thick  spots  and  thin  spots  will  not 
deliver. 

That  a  thinner  stand  may  mean  much  was 
evidenced  in  the  recent  drouthy  years  when  we 
had  a  number  of  field  experiments  in  western 
Nebraska  and  northeastern  Colorado  with  fields 
of  corn  where  rows  were  planted  7  feet  apart,  or 


44  Progressive  Agriculture 

skipping  every  other  row,  and  the  spaces  between 
were  kept  well  cultivated,  and  this  with  excellent 
results,  in  some  instances  the  yield  of  corn  was 
quite  as  much  as  in  fields  with  rows  3  feet  6  inches 
apart.  The  illustration  is  a  little  radical  yet  it 
points  to  the  correctness  of  the  principle.  Do 
not  jump  at  conclusions;  reason  well  this  question. 
True,  if  you  are  planting  for  a  crop  of  ensilage, 
plant  thicker,  but  even  then  a  stalk  every  18  inches 
is  enough  for  certain  results  from  anything  below 
a  20-inch  rainfall.  We  are  strong  believers  in 
corn  rows  farther  apart — at  least  four  feet — but 
most  cultivators  are  not  wide  enough  to  cover  this 
width,  and  change  in  the  width  of  planting  would 
mean  change  of  cultivators.  This  kind  of  plant- 
ing however,  would  give  each  plant  more  pasture 
and  facilitate  later  cultivation.  Good  seed  that 
will  practically  all  grow  is  very  important,  for  in 
no  other  way  can  an  even  stand  be  obtained. 

CORN  CULTIVATION 

Cultivation  is  referred  to  in  Class  VII,  as  the 
final  and  vital  act  of  tillage  for  corn.  The  precise 
time,  manner  and  depth  of  cultivation  of  any 
crop  means  much  more  to  the  final  yield  than  is 
generally  realized,  and  must  be  carried  out  with 
a  system  which  recognizes  at  least  the  following 
six  important  factors. 

1.  To  keep  all  weeds  from  growing. 

2.  To  cultivate  the  crop  and  not  plow  it. 

3.  To  carry  a  somewhat  coarse  mulch  and  not 
a  dust  blanket  over  the  surface. 


Progressive  Agriculture  45 

4.  To  allow  practically  no  moisture  to  escape  by 
direct  evaporation  from  the  surface. 

5.  To  use  every  possible  precaution  in  pre- 
venting any  crust  from  forming  under  the  mulch 
or  on  the  surface. 

6.  To  destroy  no  roots  of  the  corn  during  its 
entire  growth,  but  more  especially  observe  this 
point  after  the  corn  begins  to  show  tassels. 

HARROW  AND  CULTIVATOR 

If  you  have  disked  your  land  early  and  kept  up 
careful  cultivation,  as  suggested  under  the  head- 
ing of  early  spring  fitting,  you  have  gone  a  long 
way  towards  cleaning  the  field  of  weeds  and  mak- 
ing it  possible  to  keep  it  free.  If  the  land  was 
plowed  early,  followed  by  a  good  fitting  and  corn 
planted  with  a  check  rower,  one  or  two  good 
harrowings  will  again  set  the  possible  crop  of 
small  weeds  back  and  aid  greatly  in  holding  the 
desirable  per  cent  of  moisture  at  the  top  of  the 
firm  soil. 

From  the  time  the  corn  plant  has  its  third  leaf 
well  out  to  the  time  the  corn  is  10  inches  high, 
the  spike  tooth  harrow  provides  good  and  cheap 
cultivation,  especially  if  your  land  is  free  of  trash 
and  where  the  average  sand  loam  predominates, 
which  is  the  soil  most  commonly  found  in  semi- 
humid  sections. 

The  riding  cultivator,  with  three  shovels  on  a 
side,  is  about  as  good  as  any  now  available  in 
corn  culture.  We  greatly  need  up-to-date  culti- 
vators that  will  cover  either  two  or  three  rows  at 
a  time,  as  desired,  for  from  the  time  the  corn  is 


46  Progressive  Agriculture 

18  inches  to  4  feet  high  quick  and  effective  culti- 
vation is  frequently  vital.  This  is  the  period  above 
all  others  that  steady,  rapid  unchecked  growth  is 
desirable. 

The  first  cultivation  after  the  harrow  should  be 
the  deepest,  but  should  not  exceed  3  inches  in 
any  event.  Later  cultivations  should  be  changed 
very  little  as  to  depth,  slightly  shallower  never 
deeper.  You  should  watch  very  closely  what  you 
are  doing  next  to  the  corn  row  to  see  to  it  that  you 
are  not  destroying  any  of  the  roots  that  are  sent 
out  as  the  plant  increases  in  size. 

PURPOSE  OF  CULTIVATION 

One  of  the  great  questions  in  the  cultivation 
of  corn  is  to  know  when  and  what  kind  of  cultiva- 
tion will  bring  about  the  greatest  improvement  in 
soil  conditions  for  steady  rapid  growth.  The 
simple  fact  that  you  cultivate  the  corn,  potatoes 
and  other  crops,  five  or  six  times  and  your  neigh- 
bor only  two  times,  does  not  of  itself  account  for 
success  or  failure.  That  which  brings  sure  re- 
sults is  the  right  kind,  manner  and  time  of  culti- 
vation. Don't  know  this,  you  say — then  you 
must  learn  it  by  observation  and  experience,  and 
when  you  do  it  will  be  like  finding  a  gold  mine. 
Five  cultivations  intelligently  and  carefully  ap- 
plied will  always  bring  better  results  in  corn  or 
potatoes  that  two  cultivations.  Good  crop  results 
from  tillage  are  in  proportion  to  knowledge  of  the 
true  principles,  the  "why"  as  well  as  the  "how" 
and  the  intelligent  handling  of  the  tools. 

A  glance  at  Cut  No.  18,  will  give  you  a  practical 


Progressive  Agriculture  47 

illustration  of  the  effect  of  ample  timely  tillage  on 
a  crop  of  corn.  This  was  grown  on  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
farm  at  Holdrege,  Nebraska  in  the  drouthy  years 
of  1910.  The  ground  was  double  disked  early 
and  kept  cultivated  to  hold  moisture  and  keep  out 
the  weeds  until  about  May  10,  then  planted  with 
a  lister,  after  which  an  effort  was  made  to  keep 
the  surface  loose  and  allow  no  weeds  to  grow,  the 
ridges  were  worked  down  reasonably  early  before 
the  corn  was  knee  high.  Although  the  rains  were 
very  few  and  far  between  before  the  corn  was 
tasseled  and  ears  well  out,  yet  cultivation  followed 
closely  after  each  rain.  Had  there  not  been  a 
liberal  amount  of  moisture  in  the  soil  at  the  time 
of  the  first  disking,  the  result  of  ample  fall  rains, 
we  could  not  have  grown  the  crop  so  completely. 
Now  compare  No.  19  with  this  crop,  these  two 
fields  are  on  the  same  level  prairie  and  on  adjoin- 
ing quarters,  only  about  30  rods  apart.  No.  19, 
had  the  same  amount  of  liberal  moisture  in  the 
soil  in  the  spring,  but  no  disking,  plowing  or  any- 
thing else  was  done  to  this  field  until  the  corn 
was  listed  in,  at  which  time  there  was  a  liberal 
growth  of  weeds  averaging  about  6  inches  high. 
The  loss  of  moisture  by  direct  evaporation  and 
what  was  drawn  out  by  the  weeds  reduced  the 
moisture  to  that  degree  that  the  July  drouth  got 
the  corn  and  by  the  tenth  of  August  there  was 
practically  nothing  green  in  the  field,  scarcely  a 
tassel  made  its  appearance.  Did  the  weather 
make  this  wide  difference?  Yes,  in  a  way,  the  hot 
weather  and  little  rain  dried  up  and  ruined  No. 
19,  and  the  same  weather  caused  No.  18  to  grow 
and  mature,  but  timely  tillage  made  it  possible. 


48  Progressive  Agriculture 

Many  have  said  in  the  past  years;  "What's 
the  use,  if  it  rains,  we  will  get  crops;  if  it  doesn't 
rain,  we  will  not."  No  more  foolhardy  idea  was 
ever  conceived.  A  glance  at  Cuts  18  and  19  is 
certainly  somewhat  convincing.  To  get  the  seed 
bed  in  good  condition  and  keep  it  cultivated  and 
clean  of  weeds,  means  nearly  or  quite  as  much  to 
the  size  and  quantity  of  the  crop  of  corn  in  a 
wet  year  as  in  a  dry  year. 

The  growing  season  of  1915  had  the  highest 
rainfall  recorded  in  26  years  over  a  large  portion 
of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  railroad 
territory  west  of  the  Missouri  river,  and  it  gave  a 
beautiful  opportunity  to  observe  and  gather  all 
kinds  of  positive  evidence  that  the  same  careful 
application  of  principles  in  tillage  that  were 
applied  for  best  crop  results  in  drouthy  years  has 
brought  proportionate  larger  yields  in  wet  years 
and  that  where  there  was  carelessness  and  less  work 
applied  the  crops  were  smaller  despite  the  abund- 
ance of  moisture.  In  fact,  in  many  sections  the 
corn  crop  was  not  as  good  as  in  the  dryer  years. 

One  of  the  interesting  points  which  has  been 
established  by  this  unusual  season  of  1915  is 
that  you  must  keep  up  your  work,  and  to  get 
behind  in  timely  work  means  loss  every  time,  wet 
or  dry.  In  any  and  all  seasons  it  is  important  to 
keep  out  the  weeds  and  to  keep  the  mulch  loose 
and  somewhat  coarse. 

CULTIVATION  OF  LISTED  CORN 

The  use  of  the  common  spike  tooth  harrow 
early  in  cultivation  of  listed  corn  is  hardly  prac- 


Progressive  Agriculture  49 

tical;  therefore,  we  must  resort  to  such  imple- 
ments as  are  commonly  used.  One  point  fully 
established,  however,  is  that  it  is  necessary  to 
split  the  ridge  a  little  earlier  in  the  game  than  has 
been  done  heretofore.  See  Cut  No.  20  and  ob- 
serve the  modest  root  growth  from  the  smaller 
plant,  then  note  the  root  growth  from  the  larger 
one.  In  the  latter  you  see  that  the  roots  have 
gone  up  near  the  surface  of  the  solid  soil  in  the 
firm  center  ridge.  This  condition  is  especially 
true  if  there  have  been  no  heavy  rains  to  pack 
the  loose  dirt  thrown  up  over  the  center  at  the 
time  of  listing. 

This  somewhat  loose  condition  of  this  top  soil 
or  mulch  holds  the  moisture  with  the  natural 
result  that  this  firm  soil,  by  being  kept  moist  and 
becoming  quite  warm,  because  of  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun  on  both  sides,  soon  becomes  a  most 
ideal  feeding  place  for  the  roots,  therefore,  when 
they  reach  this  point  they  spread  and  grow  rapidly; 
millions  of  little  feeders  permeate  this  ridge,  and  at 
this  precise  stage  of  root  development  the  plants 
may  be  seen  to  be  putting  forth  a  very  rank, 
rapid,  healthy  growth:  more  especially  you  will 
note  the  dark  green  color. 

The  corn  at  this  stage  is  usually  12  to  20  inches 
high — then  you  proceed  to  split  the  ridge  with 
the  result  of  destroying  a  very  large  per  cent  of 
the  principal  feeding  roots,  and  what  happens? 
If  the  weather  should  be  hot  and  dry,  the  corn 
is  seen  to  wilt  more  or  less  and  the  growth  is 
checked.  This  set-back  if  dry  weather  continues 
may  mean  much  to  the  final  crop.  If,  however, 


50  Progressive  Agriculture 

good  timely  rains  follow,  the  check  in  growth  or 
change  will  be  less  noticeable. 

Endeavor  to  split  the  ridge  before  this  period 
or  condition  of  growth  is  reached,  then  you  slip 
by  the  hazardous  risk.  Watch  and  study  these 
conditions,  for  like  many  other  chance  conditions 
they  can  be  largely  overcome  by  timely  and  appro- 
priate tillage. 

LATE  CULTIVATION  OF  CORN 

Do  not  forget,  much  less  neglect,  your  corn 
field  after  the  corn  is  too  high  for  the  riding 
cultivator.  Be  especially  vigilant  if  you  have  a 
heavy  rainfall  that  has  a  tendency  to  dissolve 
and  settle,  or  to  puddle  the  mulch  after  the  last 
cultivation.  Corn  at  this  stage  needs  the  closest 
care.  If  you  have  made  no  gross  mistakes  up  to 
the  time  the  corn  is  in  full  tassel,  you  have  a  fine 
chance  for  a  good  crop.  Mistakes  made  prior  to 
this  time  cannot  be  fully  remedied  by  any  amount 
of  later  care. 

For  this  late  work  in  the  corn  field  a  13-tooth 
garden  cultivator  is  very  good,  but  you  must  hold 
the  rear  teeth  high  enough  to  clear  all  main  roots. 
A  very  good  device  for  this  last  work  in  corn  is  an 
old  mower  wheel.  Just  hitch  to  a  spoke  and  let 
the  chain  or  rope  come  up  over  the  rim  at  the  front, 
making  the  hitch  of  the  horse  short  enough  so  the 
lower  edge  of  the  front  of  the  wheel  will  only  clear 
the  surface.  This  throws  the  bottom  of  the  rear 
part  of  the  jim  forward  with  enough  slant  to  just 
cut  the  surface  and  carry  the  dirt  over  the  rim, 
dropping  it  loose  behind. 


Progressive  Agriculture  51 

The  number  of  cultivations  of  this  late  kind 
must  depend  on  the  soil  and  climatic  conditions; 
not  infrequently  however,  one  or  two  is  ample. 

The  same  importance  attaches  to  later  cultiva- 
tion of  listed  corn.as  that  given  for  check  row  corn. 
Later  cultivation  cannot  be  detrimental  except 
that  roots  are  destroyed.  In  the  growing  of  corn 
for  ensilage,  the  same  careful  and  persistent  pre- 
paration and  cultivation  will  always  pay,  as  it  will 
mean  more  growth  in  fodder  and  more  corn  on 
the  stalk  for  the  silo. 


CHAPTER  V 
NEW  PROBLEMS  IN  CORN  CULTURE 

Tradition  has  closed  our  eyes  to  a  great  many 
things  that  would  make  life  sweeter  and  business 
better.  It  has  gotten  us  into  deep  and  long 
trodden  ruts,  and  corn  planting  time  in  most  sec- 
tions, is  apparently  one.  Our  father  and  his 
father  planted  their  corn  about  May  first  to  May 
tenth.  We  have  been  doing  the  same  without  a 
thought  that  under  certain  specific  conditions  it 
might  be  better  to  plant  June  first  to  June  tenth. 

In  theory  it  would  take  a  month  later  in  the 
fall  to  mature  the  corn  should  we  delay  a  month 
in  the  spring  from  the  old  fixed  manner  and  the 
time  of  planting.  But  theory  does  not  always 
work  out  the  correct  conclusions. 

We  have  directed  a  number  of  practical  ex- 
periments in  recent  seasons,  in  the  semi-humid 


52  Progressive  Agriculture 

section,  to  determine  just  what  is  best  as  to  the 
plan  of  prolonged  spring  tillage  and  later  planting. 
These  experiments  demonstrate  that  where  the 
fields  are  carefully  tilled  from  early  spring  up  to  2 
to  4  weeks  past  the  usual  time  of  corn  planting, 
the  soil  is  warmer  and  more  favorable  to  plant 
growth,  and  a  better  physical  and  higher  fertile 
condition  is  brought  about.  The  effect  of  this  is 
to  force  the  growth  of  corn  to  a  degree  that  accli- 
mated corn  will,  under  these  conditions,  mature  at 
a  date  nearly  or  quite  as  early  in  the  average 
season,  if  planted  2  to  4  weeks  later  than  if  planted 
at  the  usual  time  under  more  common  conditions. 
And  the  late  corn,  as  is  shown,  is  likely  to  be  more 
healthy  and  more  capable  of  resisting  disease, 
drouth  and  pests. 

RESULTS  OF  SPRING  TILLAGE  AND  LATE  PLANTING 

In  this  book  we  have  given  some  illustrations 
from  photographs  of  field  showing  what  results 
are  actually  obtained  by  adapting  the  planting 
time  to  the  conditions  which  are  found.  These 
pictures  tell  the  story  much  better  than  it  could 
be  told  in  any  other  way.  They  will  repay  careful 
study  and  stand  thorough  investigation.  The 
location  is  given  in  each  case,  so  there  can  be 
verifications  by  anyone  interested. 

A  field  of  corn  at  Orleans,  Nebraska,  237  miles 
west  of  the  Missouri  river,  is  shown  in  Cut  No.  12. 
This  field  was  planted  July  1,  1914.  The  photo- 
graph was  taken  August  23,  or  54  days  from  plant- 
ing, when  the  corn  was  nearly  6  feet  high  and 
beginning  to  tassel.  When  corn  is  planted  under 


Progressive  Agriculture  53 

ordinary  conditions  on  May  10,  the  farmer 
usually  finds  that  on  July  4,  or  54  days  from 
planting,  the  corn  is  up  18  to  24  inches,  commonly 
termed  "knee-high",  or  one  fourth  to  one  third  as 
high  as  shown  in  this  field  at  Orleans.  This  field 
was  carefully  spring  tilled  from  early  spring  to 
time  of  planting.  Do  you  understand  the  sig- 
nificance of  this  fact? 

Now  we  do  not  use  Cut  No.  12  to  establish  as  a 
rule  or  principle  that  July  1  is  the  proper  corn 
planting  time.  But  it  does  show  the  truth  of  our 
previous  statement  as  to  the  time  it  takes  to  make 
the  same  growth  after  the  soil  has  been  well  and 
timely  tilled  and  becomes  warm,  and  the  seed  bed 
has  been  put  into  a  more  perfect  condition  by 
the  tillage  and  the  liberation  of  plant  food  by 
certain  chemical  action  is  under  way,  as  against 
earlier  planting  with  less  preparatory  tillage  and 
colder  soil. 

The  same  field  is  shown  again  in  Cut  No.  13, 
but  the  photograph  was  taken  30  days  later,  or 
84  days  from  planting,  showing  the  ears  which 
matured.  The  corn  in  this  case  was  not  an  early 
variety,  but  the  common  yellow  dent. 

Four  other  fields  were  planted  the  same  year, 
on  June  twenty-ninth  and  thirtieth,  at  points 
some  50  miles  apart,  not  expecting,  however,  to 
raise  finished  corn  but  to  obtain  a  better  and  more 
tender  ensilage;  but  strange  as  it  may  seem  every 
field  not  only  matured  corn,  but  at  no  time  did 
the  foliage  show  the  ill  effect  of  the  prolonged  hot, 
dry  weather. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  season  of  1914 


54  Progressive  Agriculture 

was  very  hot  and  dry  and  at  the  time,  these  five 
fields  were  at  their  best  and  well  tasseled,  most 
early  planted  corn  was  badly  fired,  while  these 
five  fields  all  remained  green  up  to  the  late  hard 
frost.  The  same  rain  fell  on  the  fields  that  were 
so  badly  fired  the  last  of  August  that  fell  on  the 
five  fields  which  made  so  much  better  growth  and 
kept  green  well  into  October. 

Cut  No.  14  is  a  field  of  corn  at  Sligo,  Colorado, 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state  150  miles 
north  of  Denver,  planted  May  12,  1915,  on  early 
disked  ground  and  well  fitted.  As  a  further 
evidence  of  the  correctness  of  our  proposition  re- 
garding the  more  rapid  growth  of  later  planting, 
when  proper  preparatory  work  is  done,  kindly 
contrast  this  with  Cut  No.  15,  a  field  adjoining  No. 
14.  This  field  was  planted  June  6,  or  25  days 
later,  but  with  the  continued  spring  tilling  of  the 
soil  from  early  spring  up  to  time  of  planting. 
While  the  rainfall  on  these  fields  was  almost 
double  that  of  normal  years,  yet  note  the  apparent 
stunted  growth  of  the  earlier  planted  field. 

Cut  No.  16  is  a  row  of  shocks  of  corn  cut  from 
the  field  planted  June  6,  and  photographed  the 
same  day  as  Nos.  14  and  15.  This  is  given  to 
show  the  marked  growth  of  corn  that  can  be 
obtained  at  the  high  altitude  of  5,400  feet,  in  a 
cool  season  like  1915,  and  a  total  rainfall  of  13^ 
inches  from  January  first  to  September  twenty- 
fifth.  These  cuts,  Nos.  14,  15  and  16,  tell  their 
own  story.  It  is  proper  tp  explain  that  the  photo 
for  Cut  No.  15  was  taken  after  all  the  field  except 
the  three  rows,  had  been  cut,  consequently  the 


Progressive  Agriculture  55 

thin  appearance  of  the  corn  field.  It  is  well  to 
add  that  this  same  farmer,  Mr.  W.  W.  Cockran, 
with  only  7J  inches  of  rain  during  the  growing 
season  in  1914,  raised  540  bushels  of  good  corn  on 
30  acres,  also  700  bushels  of  wheat  from  20  acres 
and  120  bushels  of  potatoes  per  acre. 

In  connection  with  these  three  pictures  and  the 
brief  facts  given,  don't  fail  to  recognize  that 
tillage  of  the  right  kind  at  the  proper  time  and 
planting  when  the  soil  conditions  had  been  made 
more  favorable  by  this  tillage,  were  ruling  factors 
in  the  wide  difference  as  to  these  results.  The 
same  weather  conditions  prevailed  over  both  fields, 
as  there  was  a  distance  of  only  3  feet  and  6  inches 
between  them. 

OTHER  RESULTS  OBTAINED 

A  field  of  corn  at  Holdrege,  Nebraska,  is  shown 
in  the  illustration,  Cut  No.  17.  This  was  in  the 
dry  year  of  1914.  The  ground  was  disked  early 
and  kept  clean  of  weeds  with  a  loose  surface  layer 
maintained,  corn  listed  June  thirtieth,  photo- 
graphed August  7,  or  38  days  after  planting.  The 
average  height  of  the  corn  at  the  time  the  photo- 
graph was  taken  was  46  inches,  or  about  double 
the  height  of  the  average  corn  on  July  fourth 
that  had  been  planted  May  tenth.  In  other  words, 
this  corn  made  twice  the  growth  in  38  days 
that  the  average  early  planted  corn  would  make 
in  54  days.  The  ideal  seed  and  root  bed  brought 
about  by  careful  tillage,  the  warm  soil  and  in- 
creased available  plant  food  were  the  ruling 
factors  in  this  remarkable  growth  in  so  short  a 
period. 


56  Progressive  Agriculture 

Mr.  Haun,  at  Haxton,  Colorado,  planted  a 
part  of  his  corn  May  4,  1915,  and  the  rest  of  it 
June  first,  with  a  similar  experience,  that  of  having 
his  later  planting  grow  tallest  and  rankest  and 
maturing  corn  at  about  the  same  date  as  the 
early  planted. 

Mr.  Forrest  of  Brush,  Colorado,  planted  part 
of  his  corn  May  7,  1915  and  the  balance  June  10, 
all  in  the  same  field,  with  same  seed,  an  early 
maturing  and  acclimated  variety.  Four  men  were 
selected  to  estimate  the  crop  of  the  two  plantings 
on  September  twenty-fourth.  They  agreed  that 
the  late  planting  had  produced  more  than  three 
times  as  much  fodder  and  more  than  two  times 
as  much  corn ;  that  the  late  planting  was  less  than 
one  week  behind  in  maturing  although  planted 
five  weeks  later;  and  that  the  early  planted  field 
was  badly  smutted  while  the  later  planting 
practically  had  no  smut. 

Similar  conditions  were  reported  as  to  the  ab- 
sence of  smut  in  a  number  of  other  late  planted 
fields.  Thus  it  would  seem  that  the  earlier  planted 
being  more  or  less  stunted  and  consequently  less 
vigorous  and  weaker  was  more  susceptible  to 
disease  than  the  late.  This  smut  problem  is  a 
question  that  is  worthy  of  your  careful  considera- 
tion, for  it  is  very  common  some  years  in  the 
central  west  to  find  the  majority  of  corn  fields 
developing  much  smut.  The  situation  we  have 
just  referred  to  indicates  that  a  more  vigorous, 
healthy  plant,  the  same  as  man  or  animal,  has 
greater  ability  to  ward  off  or  resist  disease.  We 
have  a  number  of  letters  from  farmers  expressing 


Progressive  Agriculture  57 

great  surprise  at  the  quickness  and  rankness  of 
the  growth  of  plants  on  well  handled  fields  and 
late  planted  in  1913  and  1914  with  their  drouthy 
conditions  and  excessive  heat;  but  with  the  cool 
season  of  1915  and  its  excessive  rainfall  which  has 
brought  about  such  a  difference  in  favor  of  early 
and  continuous  careful  tillage  and  later  planting 
by  three  and  four  weeks,  which  has  been  reported 
by  more  than  forty  farmers,  we  are  earnestly  in- 
clined to  urge  all  farmers  to  try  experiments, 
that  they  may  see  with  their  own  eyes  how  easy 
they  can  not  only  slip  by  a  modest  drouth  without 
injury  to  the  crop,  but  very  materially  increase 
the  growth  and  final  yield. 

Remember  distinctly  our  faith  in  the  apparent 
advantage  of  this  later  planting  is  based  almost 
wholly  on  the  effect  of  early  and  continued  timely 
tillage. 

CORN  FOR  GRAIN  AND  ENSILAGE 

Basing  our  conclusions  on  the  results  of  the 
experiments  just  noted,  and  taking  the  south  line 
of  Nebraska  and  the  center  of  the  state  as  a  base 
where  semi-humid  conditions  usually  prevail  and 
where  corn  planting  time  has  been,  as  a  rule, 
about  May  tenth,  we  would  urge  the  trial  of 
continued  cultivation  for  2  to  4  weeks,  regardless 
of  the  fact  that  you  are  delaying  the  usual  time 
of  planting,  depending  for  the  wide  range  of  two 
weeks  upon  the  soil,  season  and  location. 

But  to  those  who  try  it,  we  say  to  give  it  a 
careful  and  thorough  trial,  and  study  well  what 
we  have  said  regarding  the  preparatory  work, 


58  Progressive  Agriculture 

under  the  head  of  Spring  Tillage,  and  how  much 
it  means  to  the  more  rapid  growth  by  the  later 
planting,  for  this  is  the  basis  for  the  increased 
certainty  and  yield  of  corn,  and  all  evidence  so 
far  is  in  its  favor.  Have  you  not,  by  accident 
at  some  time,  planted  your  corn  late  and  got 
good  results?  Then  don't  forget  that  the  early 
and  continuous  cultivation  gives  you  a  still  greater 
advantage. 

Then  as  one  goes  north  and  west  from  the  base 
point  referred  to,  you  should  shorten  the  prepar- 
atory period  slightly,  while  going  south  or  east 
give  about  the  same  period  of  cultivation  beyond 
the  usual  planting  time.  It  is  very  apparent  that 
this  plan  will  carry  farther  east  in  the  corn  belt 
proper,  but  where  the  atmosphere  is  more  moist 
the  delay  should  be  slightly  less.  As  we  go  north 
or  rise  in  altitude  in  the  section  of  low  humidity 
and  lighter  rainfall,  we  have  found  our  most 
marked  and  interesting  results. 

In  planting  for  ensilage  there  is  unquestionable 
advantage  in  the  very  thorough  tillage  prepara- 
tion and  delay  in  planting.  Every  known  experi- 
ment on  this  line  properly  carried  out  has  been 
a  success.  In  some  localities  for  ensilage  it  may 
be  advisable  to  continue  cultivation  and  delay 
planting  for  at  least  a  week  or  ten  days  later 
than  where  mature  corn  is  the  object. 

If  careful  consideration  is  given  to  our  base 
point  as  to  planting  time  and  modest  considera- 
tion given  to  the  local  conditions  and  the  proper 
tillage  the  increase  in  tonnage  in  normal  years  by 
reason  of  prolonged  tillage  and  later  planting  will 


Progressive  Agriculture  59 

be  very  marked,  while  in  the  more  drouthy 
seasons,  it  will  be  a  happy  surprise  to  all  who  have 
not  seen  it  worked  out. 

Much  stress  must  be  put  upon  the  question  of 
early  disking  and  careful  preparation.  This  will 
materially  aid  in  promoting  early  rapid  growth. 

The  delay  of  2  to  4  weeks  in  planting  should  be 
solely  for  the  purpose  of  permitting  a  longer  period 
for  tillage  and  that  the  soil  may  become  sufficiently 
warm  to  give  quick  germination  and  rapid  early 
growth. 

Corn  that  is  stunted  by  the  unfavorable 
physical  and  a  cool  soil  condition  will  never  fully 
recover  by  any  amount  of  after  good  tillage. 

Good,  early,  careful  preparation  of  the  soil  for 
corn  counts  in  wet  years  as  well  as  in  dry  years. 

Careless  and  delayed  preparation  for  corn  means 
a  small  or  no  crop  at  all  in  drouthy  years. 

Corn  was  once  king  in  Iowa;  it  can  make 
kings  in  much  of  the  semi-humid  section. 


CHAPTER  VI 

TIME  OF  PLANTING 

We  have  already  discussed  the  question  of  pro- 
longing the  preparatory  period  prior  to  planting 
the  average  crop.  This  you  can  readily  see  means 
planting  the  crop  a  little  later,  in  some  instances 
two  weeks  and  in  other  two  months,  depending  on 
the  kind  of  crop.  This  seems  almost  ridiculous, 
but  go  with  us  carefully  through.  It  is  not  our 


60  Progressive  Agriculture 

purpose  to  discuss  the  question  of  later  planting 
for  better  results  but  rather  of  prolonging  the 
period  of  preparation  sufficiently  to  obtain  a  much 
more  ideal  soil  condition,  for  not  only  storing  in 
close  proximity  to  the  feeding  zone  of  the  plant 
roots  a  greater  supply  of  moisture  and  plant  food, 
but  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  warm  weather  in 
bringing  about  a  more  favorable  condition  for 
rapid  development  of  rootlets  and  their  feeders, 
and  at  the  same  time  having  a  soil  condition  that 
will  provide  additional  plant  food  to  keep  up  the 
supply  as  the  plants  begin  to  reach  up  with  a 
more  rapid  growth. 

In  the  development  of  this  kind  of  work  or  what 
we  term  Spring  Tillage,  there  is  one  great  advant- 
age we  are  seeking,  and  that  is  to  bridge  over 
seasons  of  light  rainfall,  also  the  hot  drouthy 
periods  that  so  commonly  play  havoc  with  our 
crops  the  later  part  of  June  through  July,  and 
early  August  in  all  semi-humid  sections. 

For  a  time  it  seemed  that  for  sections  of  lighter 
rainfall  summer  tillage  was  the  solution,  and  in 
the  production  of  fall  planted  crops,  it  has  proved 
remarkably  successful  where  the  work  was  cor- 
rectly done,  and  we  know  there  is  much  more  merit 
to  summer  tillage  than  has  been  commonly  brought 
out.  The  difficulties  militating  against  its  success 
are  two;  first,  a  lack  of  full  and  thorough  under- 
standing of  the  principles  and  the  observation  of 
every  detail;  second,  lack  of  adequate  tools  for 
handling  the  land  more  especially  after  the  land 
has  been  plowed  and  sub-packed,  to  then  com- 
pletely keep  out  all  weeds  without  destroying  the 
seed  bed  by  too  deep  cultivation. 


Progressive  Agriculture  61 

Experience  with  summer  tilling,  however,  is 
what  has  brought  out  the  spring  tillage  idea,  which 
points  to  a  successful  harvest  every  year  for  all 
spring  planted  crops,  barring  hail  storms. 

We  have  already  found  that  for  large  results 
from  spring  tillage  there  is  a  necessary  preciseness 
in  the  work  the  same  as  there  is  in  any  other  line 
of  work.  It  is  also  true  that  some  of  the  ideas 
are  radically  different  from  all  past  practice. 
This  is  especially  true  as  to  the  delay  in  planting 
time  of  nearly  all  crops,  to  permit  of  time  for  the 
necessary  tillage  to  obtain  the  best  results  each 
and  every  year. 

In  the  following  chapters  we  shall  refer  to  very 
marked  results  in  the  hot  drouthy  years  of  1913 
and  1914,  where  fields  have  had  early  and  careful 
preparation  followed  by  continued  timely  cultiva- 
tion, to  a  considerable  later  period  of  planting 
not  only  produced  large  crops  but  were  the  only 
fields  to  fully  resist  the  ill  effect  of  hot  weather. 

In  later  chapters  we  will  go  more  into  detail  as 
to  the  reasons  for  early  and  perfect  fitting  of  the 
soil  and  this  to  be  followed  by  late  planting,  as 
it  relates  to  crops  of  corn,  potatoes,  cane  and 
other  things.  We  shall  urge  reasonably  later 
planting,  always  to  permit  of  the  prolonged  spring 
fitting,  by  from  two  to  six  weeks  than  has  been 
the  practice  prior  to  1915,  depending  always  on 
the  kind  of  crop.  A  better  and  more  perfect  seed 
bed  is  made  possible,  by  the  delay  of  planting  to 
permit  of  a  longer  period  of  preparation.  This  is 
especially  applicable  in  sections  of  light  rainfall 
in  growing  feed  for  cattle  and  hogs. 


62  Progressive  Agriculture 

The  length  of  time  of  extended  cultivation  must 
depend  absolutely  on  the  location,  conditions  and 
kind  of  crops  to  be  grown.  Our  conclusions  as  to 
value  of  this  prolonged  thorough  fitting  and  later 
planting  are  based  on  results  actually  shown  in 
dozens  of  practical  field  tests  in  the  hot,  dry 
summers  of  1913  and  1914,  with  many  other  tests 
in  the  cool  wet  summer  of  1915.  These  tests 
covered  a  wide  scope  of  conditions  and  country, 
and  therefore,  we  can  say  without  hesitancy, 
that  the  plan  is  not  in  the  least  detrimental  in 
cool,  wet  seasons  but  is  a  most  marked  advantage 
and  success  in  hot,  dry  seasons,  if  the  right  kind 
of  tillage  is  made  use  of  with  intelligence. 

Later  planting  with  due  consideration  as  to 
kind  of  crop  and  location  following  proper  pre- 
paration, means  more  to  the  farmer  in  the  semi- 
humid  sections  than  any  other  one  thing  possible 
in  increasing  the  magnitude  and  certainty  of  crops 
in  any  and  all  years.  While  this  is  a  comparatively 
new  problem  we  believe  firmly  in  this  conclusion. 

Like  many  other  lines  of  effort  to  better  the 
average  crop  production,  the  prolonged  tillage 
idea  before  planting  must  have  local  consideration 
and  adjustment.  The  time  of  planting  in  your 
field  may  be  of  necessity  from  three  to  ten  days 
later  or  earlier  than  in  a  field  not  many  miles 
away,  because  of  local  conditions  regarding  the 
soil,  summer  warmth  and  autumn  frost. 

We  urge  every  farmer  to  try  out  these  prin- 
ciples, as  to  late  planting,  to  permit  of  prolonging 
the  period  of  preparation  for  there  is  much  in 
them,  in  the  way  of  greatly  increased  growth 


Progressive  Agriculture  63 

from  the  same  amount  of  water,  but  begin  your 
experiments  with  care  and  with  the  idea  that  you 
should  continue  the  preparatory  tillage  as  late  as 
you  can  with  reasonable  assurance  of  time  from 
planting  for  the  plants  to  reach  the  maturity 
most  desirable  for  harvesting  that  specific  crop 
whether  it  be  corn,  cane,  fodder  crops,  potatoes 
or  garden.  Work  out  the  problem  of  the  lateness 
of  preparation  for  each  farm  and  crop  by  small 
experiments  carefully  handled  and  results  re- 
corded. Some  seasons  the  continuous  hot  weather 
comes  earlier  than  other  seasons  and  the  soil  may 
reach  the  ideal  warm  conditions  earlier,  when 
earlier  planting  may  be  advisable.  But  let  us 
again  emphasize  that  the  value  of  later  planting 
comes  from  the  farmer's  ability  to  destroy  more 
weeds  and  store  more  water  in  the  soil  and  further 
improve  the  condition  of  the  seed  bed  under  which 
conditions  a  greater  amount  of  plant  food  is  made 
available,  and  a  much  more  rapid  growth  attained. 

As  has  been  stated  before,  the  advantages  are 
many  why  the  growing  season  should  be  made  as 
short  as  possible.  Some  of  these  might  be  stated 
as  follows: 

Less  danger  of  injury  from  unfavorable  con- 
ditions, such  as  hot  winds,  storms,  hail,  insect  pests. 

Greater  opportunity  to  destroy  weeds  and  a 
smaller  opportunity  for  the  weeds  to  take  advant- 
age of  the  field  crops  and  crowd  them  out. 

Far  less  danger  of  stunting  the  growth,  a 
stronger,  healthier  plant  because  of  quick  growing, 
therefore,  a  greater  resistance  to  plant  disease 
and  increased  certainty  of  larger  yield. 


64  Progressive  Agriculture 

A  larger  amount  of  available  moisture  and  plant 
food  at  time  of  planting,  due  to  the  longer  prepar- 
atory period  in  which  the  moisture  is  stored  and 
the  plant  food  is  made  available. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  availability 
of  the  elements  in  the  soil  for  the  use  of  the  plants, 
depends  largely  on  the  preparation  of  the  soil  and 
the  final  physical  condition  obtained.  Some  plant 
food,  it  is  true,  is  available  in  practically  all  soils 
nearly  all  the  time;  but  for  best  results,  especially 
in  semi-humid  regions,  the  largest  possible  amount 
of  plant  food  must  be  made  available  to  assure 
greater  returns.  This  happens  when  there  has 
been  such  treatment  of  the  soil  that  the  water  and 
air  are  mingled  in  right  proportions  so  that  under 
influence  of  the  sun's  rays  and  the  electrical 
forces,  there  will  be  quick  and  radical  but  favor- 
able changes  in  the  soil  itself.  That  is  what 
takes  place  naturally  in  the  middle  of  the  summer. 
The  farmer  can  help  it  along  wonderfully.  So  if 
he  takes,  say  eight  weeks  in  which  to  do  his 
preparatory  work  of  getting  the  field  ready  and 
coaching  the  elements,  he  can  accomplish  a  great 
deal  more  than  he  could  do  in  three  or  four 
weeks'  time.  Then,  also,  a  week  under  weather 
conditions  that  come  in  the  later  part  of  May  and 
early  June,  when  the  sun  is  reaching  near  its 
highest  point,  and  the  days  are  longer,  is  worth 
a  great  deal  more  in  the  development  of  plant 
food  and  growth  of  the  plants  than  two  or  three 
weeks  in  March  or  early  April,  and  yet  the  very 
early  tillage  means  very  much  in  not  only  holding 
the  moisture  that  is  in  the  soil,  but  in  putting 


Progressive  Agriculture  65 

the  soil  in  better  condition  to  take  in  the  later 
rains. 

The  growth  of  all  plants  can  be  crowded,  they 
can  be  urged  and  encouraged.  Their  growth  can 
be  hastened  in  many  ways.  That  is  why  some 
fields  of  corn  will  mature  in  90  days  while  others 
require  120  days  or  more.  Much  attention  should 
be  given  to  the  selection  of  quick  growing  varieties. 
The  great  value  of  the  quick  growing  crops  is  that 
they  may  be  planted  late,  when  the  available 
plant  food  is  most  abundant  and  the  general 
weather  conditions  most  favorable,  which  is  in 
mid-summer,  and  if  the  soil  conditions  are  at  their 
best  they  get  through  to  maturity  in  much  less 
time. 


CHAPTER  VII 

WHEAT 

Wheat  was  the  first  crop  grown  by  the  early 
settlers  throughout  the  great  central  west,  so 
far  as  history  can  be  traced,  and  when  the  soil 
was  new  and  did  not  as  readily  assume  unfavorable 
conditions,  the  yield  was  good  and  promised  the 
pioneer  great  and  quick  profits.  Some  early 
yields  and  profits  from  wheat  on  the  virgin  soils 
of  Minnesota  and  Iowa,  coupled  with  advent  of 
the  self  binder,  prompted  the  speculator  and  the 
capitalist  to  monopolize  and  operate  large  tracts 
of  land. 

In  1877  leading  stockholders  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railway  sought  to  induce  settlement  of 


66  Progressive  Agriculture 

the  long  stretch  of  then  uninhabited  land 
running  almost  from  the  suburbs  of  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Flattering  offers 
were  made  for  its  development,  and  in  1878  the 
great  Dalrymple  wheat  farm  on  the  fertile  level 
prairies  just  west  of  Fargo,  of  40,000  acres,  sprang 
suddenly  into  existence.  Other  great  spring  wheat 
farms  followed,  ranging  down  to  one  and  two 
thousand  acres  each.  Many  of  the  first  yields 
were  35  to  45  bushels  per  acre,  some  much  less; 
fortunes,  however,  were  seemingly  sure  and  close 
at  hand,  a  fact  that  doubtless  led  many  of  us  off 
on  the  wrong  plan  of  one  crop  farming. 

Millions  of  acres  of  Northern  Pacific  and  Union 
Pacific  lands  were  soon  purchased  and  thousands 
of  homesteads,  preemptions  and  tree  claims  of 
160  acres  each,  were  filed  on,  and  the  country 
from  up  near  the  Canadian  line  down  to  Okla- 
homa, filled  with  eager  speculators  and  home 
makers. 

Railroads  were  projected,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  history  they  were  built  into  the  interior  beyond 
settlement.  Cities  and  towns  sprang  up  like 
magic,  everybody  seemingly  had  money  or  was 
going  to  get  it.  But  there  came  an  end  to  all  this, 
the  history  of  which  we  will  not  repeat. 

The  principal  factors  in  all  the  grief  that  fol- 
lowed were  the  mistakes  made  in  handling  the 
land.  We  were  all  strangers  in  a  strange  land, 
there  were  so  many  things  we  did  not  know. 
While  we  do  not  believe  in  the  one  crop  farming, 
yet  a  wide  range  of  experience  convinces  us  that 
wheat  on  a  small  scale  can  yet  be  grown  at  a  profit, 


Progressive  Agriculture  67 

and  in  the  following  pages  we  shall  endeavor  to 
prove  this  as  certain,  not  by  theory  but  by 
practical  results. 

WINTER  WHEAT  AND  TILLAGE 

Methods  of  tillage  have  very  much  more  to  do 
with  crop  results  in  semi-humid  sections  than 
weather  conditions.  In  illustrating  this  fact,  let 
us  call  attention  to  certain  pictures.  Look  at 
Cuts  No.  24  and  25  carefully.  They  represent 
winter  wheat  tracts  on  160  acres  each,  both 
fields  grown  in  the  wet  year  of  1915  near  Yuma, 
Colorado  on  adjoining  sections,  with  soil  of  the 
same  formation  and  both  on  land  broken  from  the 
prairie  sod  in  1914.  The  field  illustrated  in  No. 
24,  made  39J  bushels  per  acre,  while  No.  25  only 
made  13  bushels  per  acre.  Fifteen  inches  of  rain 
fell  on  both  fields  during  April,  May  and  June. 
One  field  responded  most  beautifully  because  the 
physical  condition  was  such  that  nature  could 
come  much  nearer  doing  her  best.  Have  you  ever 
seen  such  contrasts  in  adjoining  fields  and  some- 
times in  different  parts  of  the  same  field?  Is  it 
possible  to  get  around  the  wide  difference  in  the 
results  of  these  two  fields  by  saying  it  is  only  one 
of  many  similar  freaks?  This  is  too  ridiculous; 
there  is  a  cause  for  No.  24  and  another  cause  for 
No.  25,  and  apparently  both  had  their  definite 
effects,  therefore,  the  cause  and  effect  are  ex- 
plained later  on. 

Now  give  careful  consideration  to  Cuts  Nos. 
26  and  27,  to  which  is  attached  some  interesting 
history.  These  fields  are  closer  related  even  than 


68  Progressive  Agriculture 

Nos.  24  and  25,  so  far  as  soil  is  considered,  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  the  tillers  of  both  attempted 
to  follow  the  same  plan.  They  both  had  been 
cropped  a  number  of  years  and  are  on  adjoining 
quarters  of  the  same  level  section  one  mile  south- 
east of  Yuma,  Colorado,  handled  by  different  men. 

Both  fields  were  summer  tilled  in  1913,  each 
man  endeavored  to,  and  thought  he  was  doing  all 
he  could  to  get  a  soil  condition  that  would  bring 
the  biggest  and  best  crop  of  wheat,  but  look  at 
the  result.  Field  No.  26,  apparently  (not  hap- 
pened to)  was  put  in  very  much  better  condition 
and  when  you  read  about  J.  M.  Moyer  who 
handled  this  field  you  will  more  fully  appreciate 
this  fact. 

The  two  fields  after  being  summer  tilled  in 
1913,  were  seeded  in  the  fall,  and  in  1914  each 
field  produced  as  follows:  No.  26,  47|  bushels 
per  acre;  No.  27,  24f  bushels  or  a  little  more  than 
half  as  much.  The  47^  bushel  crop  is  shown  in 
Cut  No.  30,  in  the  rear  field,  where  it  is  contrasted 
with  the  adjoining  or  front  field,  cropped  in  the 
usual  manner  yielding  only  16^  bushels.  About 
the  same  expense  in  labor  in  summer  tilling  was 
put  on  field  No.  26  and  27  in  1913,  the  time,  kind 
and  manner  of  doing  the  work  making  the  wide 
difference.  One  knew  what  to  do  and  what  not 
to  do;  the  other  thought  he  did,  but  made 
mistakes  as  many  others  have  done. 

Now  as  to  the  next  year.  Both  fields  were 
refitted  the  same  season,  1914,  each  doing  what  he 
thought  was  best  to  prepare  for  seed  and  sowed 
that  fall  to  winter  wheat.  In  the  two  pictures 


Progressive  Agriculture  69 

given  we  have  shown  the  result  of  the  1915  crop. 
The  field  shown  in  No.  26  yielded  30  bushels  per 
acre  and  that  in  No.  27  yielded  only  11J.  This 
added  to  the  1914  crop  of  24^  bushels  makes  a 
total  of  36  bushels  in  two  consecutive  years, 
following  one  season  of  summer  tilling.  And  yet, 
No.  26  yielded  47J  bushels  in  1914  and  30  bushels 
in  1915,  a  total  of  77  J  in  the  two  years,  or  43| 
bushels  more  than  No.  27  for  really  knowing  how. 
This  at  85  cents  per  bushel  would  be  $36.98  per 
acre,  or  the  three  years'  interest  on  the  land  at 
6%  on  a  valuation  of  $205.33  per  acre,  not  the 
total  return  but  more  than  the  other  at  practically 
no  extra  cost. 

The  question  naturally  arises  here  as  to  why 
this  difference?  The  yields  were  not  accidents. 
There  is  a  clear  and  distinct  reason  and  this 
reason  slightly  enlarged  is  the  "Why"  some  men 
are  raising  good  crops  in  the  most  drouthy  years 
in  western  Nebraska  and  eastern  Colorado,  and 
better  ones  in  the  good  years,  while  others  have 
gone  there,  tried  to  do  the  same  work,  and  failed 
entirely.  In  short  this  striking  illustration  clinches 
the  fact  that  there  is  a  right  and  a  wrong  way  of 
doing  things.  It  also  tells  a  valuable  story  in  the 
lesson  of  summer  tilling  or  summer  fallowing, 
which,  as  commonly  understood,  means  to  culti- 
vate one  season  to  store  the  rain  waters  for  use  the 
next  year,  for  it  shows  there  is  more  to  it,  also  that 
it  is  important  to  have  every  part  of  the  work, 
tillage,  quantity  of  seed,  time  of  seeding,  all  care- 
fully done.  Unless  it  is  all  timely  and  correctly 
done  you  are  liable  to  be  sadly  disappointed  in 


70  Progressive  Agriculture 

final  yields,  but  if  every  detail  is  done  correctly, 
and  it  can  be,  success  is  as  sure  in  the  semi-humid 
sections  as  in  almost  any  other  place.  These 
four  pictures  just  mentioned  are  shown  together 
with  Cuts  Nos.  30,  31,  32,  and  33  to  establish  more 
fully  a  fact  that  unfortunately  has  not  been 
sufficiently  well  understood  in  the  past,  and  that 
is,  the  crop  is  in  proportion  to  the  tillage  or  treat- 
ment the  land  has  been  given,  the  quantity  of 
seed  sown  and  time  of  seeding.  Therefore,  if  you 
or  your  friends  failed  years  ago,  don't  insist  that 
others  must  likewise  fail  now. 

FURTHER  EVIDENCE 

Cut  No.  28,  has  a  very  interesting  story  that 
must  be  recognized  as  a  further  proof  of  our 
attitude  as  to  how  easy  it  is  to  make  a  mistake, 
and  how  a  mistake  may  easily  mislead  anyone 
who  is  not  familiar  with  the  progressive  ideas. 

This  field  belongs  to  a  neighbor  of  Mr.  Moyer's, 
at  Yuma,  Colorado  who  came  to  Mr.  Moyer  in 
the  spring  of  1914  with  the  statement  that  he 
wanted  40  acres  of  his  prairie  land  broken  for 
winter  wheat,  but  he  had  no  money.  Mr.  Moyer, 
replied  he  would  break  the  land  and  fit  it  for  fall 
seeding  and  take  for  his  pay  one  third  of  the  threshed 
wheat,  providing  this  party  would  seed  at  the 
time  and  with  the  quantity  of  seed  per  acre  that 
he  requested.  The  deal  was  thus  completed. 
Mr.  Moyer  did  the  work.  When  the  breaking 
was  finished,  the  owner  was  through  his  spring 
seeding,  so  he  broke  10  acres  more  alongside  of 
the  breaking  done  by  contract,  and  fitted  as  to  his 


Progressive  Agriculture  71 

own  notion  and  seeded  as  he  thought  best  in  the 
fall  at  the  time  the  Moyer  part  was  also  seeded. 
In  face  of  the  unusual  heavy  rains  of  1915,  there 
was  a  very  wide  difference  in  the  yield  of  the  two 
pieces,  so  much  that  they  were  cut  and  threshed 
separately.  Mr.  Mover's  third  was  more  bushels  per 
acre  than  the  total  yield  per  acre  of  the  additional 
ten  acres. 

Cut  No.  28  shows  the  crop  on  the  Moyer  part 
just  before  cutting.  Knowing  that  the  same 
heavy  rain  fell  on  the  entire  50  acres,  we  ask  the 
question,  was  the  weather  responsible  for  the 
wide  difference  in  the  yield  or  was  it  the  tillage? 
Again  the  question,  is  not  this  evidence  suffi- 
ciently clear  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  right 
principles  and  methods  will  bring  results  that 
wrong  methods  will  not?  You  must  know  how- 
ever, what  is  right  and  what  is  wrong. 

Cut  No.  29  is  J.  M.  Moyer's  1915  winter  wheat, 
50  acres  on  land  broken  from  the  prairie  sod  in 
1914,  average  yield  45|  bushels  per  acre,  a  very 
marked  yield  for  new  breaking.  Remember  this 
when  you  look  at  other  fields  grown  by  Mr.  Moyer. 

The  full  page  Cut  No.  30,  in  colors,  rear  field 
with  its  rank  healthy  growth  is  Mr.  Moyer's  1914 
crop  on  land  summer  tilled  in  1913,  and  previously 
referred  to  in  connection  with  Cut  No.  26.  The 
front  field  with  its  somewhat  stunted  growth  is 
also  winter  wheat  on  land  that  had  grown  a  crop 
of  wheat  in  1913  at  the  same  time  the  rear  field 
was  being  summer  tilled.  The  two  fields  were 
sown  at  the  same  time,  the  rank  rear  field  was 
sown  with  20  pounds  of  seed  per  acre  and  the 


72  Progressive  Agriculture 

front  field  with  30  pounds  per  acre.  Mr.  Moyer 
gave  this  front  field  the  best  care  possible  as  he 
was  still  trying  to  satisfy  himself  whether  it  paid 
to  summer  till  or  not.  The  summer  tilled  field 
produced  47f  bushels  per  acre  and  the  front  field 
only  16|  bushels  per  acre,  or  slightly  more  than 
one-third.  This  result,  in  face  of  a  rainfall  con- 
siderably below  normal  convinced  Mr.  Moyer 
that  Colorado  prairies  like  her  mountains  have 
plenty  of  gold  but  to  get  it  in  liberal  quantities 
it  was  necessary  to  learn  better  when  and  how  to 
till  the  soil. 

Cut  No.  31  shows  Mr.  Moyer's  field  of  summer 
tilled  wheat  after  it  was  cut  in  the  hot  dry  year  of 
1913.  This  field  of  15  acres  averaged  34£  bushels 
per  acre,  with  plenty  of  fields  in  the  surrounding 
country  going  from  8  to  12  bushels  per  acre. 

Cut  No.  32  is  Mr.  Moyer's  1915  crop  on  land 
summer  tilled  in  1914,  51|  bushels  per  acre. 
Don't  forget  that  this  is  fully  double  that  of  the 
majority  of  wheat  fields  around  Yuma  and  also 
that  the  rainfall  recorded  from  the  first  of  April 
to  the  cutting  of  this  crop  is  more  than  double  any 
other  year.  Then  why  does  this  summer  tilled 
field  produce  so  much  more  unless  there  is  some- 
thing in  the  theory  of  increased  fertility  from 
summer  tilling?  Then,  again  remember  that  Mr. 
Moyer's  high  yield  in  1915  with  its  heavy  rainfall 
is  only  4  bushels  more  than  in  1914  with  less  than 
half  the  rain.  Is  it  the  weather  or  tillage? 

This  No.  32,  is  a  close  second  to  No.  39,  a 
summer  tilled  field  grown  in  the  dry  year  of  1904 
at  Holdrege,  Nebraska  and  yielding  54|  bushels 


Progressive  Agriculture  73 

per  acre  of  64  pound  wheat,  and  referred  to  later 
on.  In  the  eleven  intervening  years,  many  a 
farmer  has  tried  to  grow  wheat  by  summer  tilling 
and  failed  of  any  profit  and  strongly  denounced 
the  methods  and  principles  all  because  of  mistakes 
and  a  misunderstanding  of  the  real  how,  not  only 
in  tillage  but  quantity  of  seed  and  time  of  seeding. 

To  more  fully  substantiate  the  fact  that  the 
correct  time  and  kind  of  work  means  more  than 
quantity  of  work  in  not  only  summer  tilling  but 
in  successful  crop  growing,  we  take  the  liberty  to 
state  that  Mr.  J.  M.  Moyer  farmed  and  fitted  in 
the  autumn  of  1914,  210  acres,  all  of  which  was 
in  crop  in  1915  and  well  handled  and  largely  re- 
fitted again,  doing  his  work  alone  with  the  help 
of  3  horses  and  a  gas  tractor  that  pulled  five  plows, 
except  his  help  for  harvesting  and  threshing. 
Whether  Mr.  Moyer  did  good  work  on  so  large 
a  farm  with  no  other  manual  labor  is  evidenced  by 
his  fields  of  grain  we  have  shown  you  in  the  various 
pictures.  Mr.  Moyer  is  not  only  growing  crops 
with  larger  yields  than  any  one  else,  but  he  is 
making  all  due  preparations  for  a  pleasant, 
attractive  home  in  the  near  future.  A  glance  at 
Cut  No.  6,  shows  a  row  of  Carolina  poplars  on 
the  south  of  his  orchard  only  five  years  old  and 
fully  18  feet  high  now.  Cut  No.  7  is  an  interest- 
ing view  of  his  five  year-old  cherry  trees  just 
north  of  the  Carolina  poplars.  Mr.  Moyer  has 
never  failed  to  get  fine  vegetables  and  potatoes 
since  he  learned  how. 

Cut  No.  21  shows  Mr.  Moyer  cutting  his 
champion  crop  of  wheat  in  1915,  pulling  his 


74  Progressive  Agriculture 

harvester  and  a  tandem  or  double  disk  harrow, 
double  disking  the  stubble  as  fast  as  the  crop  is 
cut,  mixing  the  thick  heavy  stubble  into  the  top 
three  inches  of  soil.  Explanation  of  the  value 
will  be  gone  into  under  the  heading  of  "Disking 
After  the  Harvest." 

Cut  No.  33,  another  full  page  color  cut,  shows 
two  fields  of  wheat  grown  by  August  Desens,  on 
the  high  divide  1J  miles  north  of  Stratton,  Ne- 
braska in  the  very  hot,  dry  year  of  1913.  This, 
like  No.  30,  shows  two  fields  of  winter  wheat. 
The  rear  field  here  was  summer  tilled  in  1912, 
and  seeded  in  early  September,  and  produced  in 
1913,  33  bushels  of  62  pound  wheat  per  acre, 
while  the  front  field  was  in  wheat  in  1912,  refitted 
and  again  sown  at  the  same  time  the  summer 
tilled  field  was.  This  field  started  off  well  in  the 
spring,  but  like  many  surrounding  fields  ran  out 
of  moisture  during  the  hot  weather  without  rain 
and  dried  up,  never  even  heading  as  can  be 
clearly  seen  in  the  cut. 

The  gentleman's  feet  standing  in  the  front  field 
can  be  plainly  seen,  while  the  man  in  the  back, 
or  summer  tilled  field,  stands  in  thick  rank  wheat 
up  to  his  hips.  Such  evidence  as  to  the  correctness 
of  certain  methods  of  tillage  cannot  be  contradict- 
ed. Numerous  fields  of  wheat  in  this  locality 
were  not  worth  cutting,  due  to  the  excessive  pro- 
longed heat  without  rain  during  June  and  early 
July. 

Cut  No.  84  is  a  most  exceedingly  interesting 
illustration  of  what  the  right  kind  of  tillage  will 
do  in  the  growing  of  a  good  crop  with  very  small 


Progressive  Agriculture  75 

rainfall.  This  rye  was  grown  by  C.  L.  Morgan, 
Sligo,  Colorado,  on  the  Cheyenne  branch  of  the 
C.  B.  &  Q.  railway,  46  miles  east  of  Cheyenne, 
Wyoming  in  the  dry  season  of  1914.  The  land 
was  summer  tilled  in  1913  and  during  that  year  a 
total  of  only  7f  inches  of  rain  fell.  The  rye  was 
put  in  August  25,  1913,  made  a  very  good  start 
and  by  its  liberal  stooling  afforded  considerable 
pasture  for  about  20  head  of  stock  and  again  in 
the  spring  was  pastured.  The  total  rain  from  Jan- 
uary first,  to  the  cutting  of  the  rye  was  only  4f 
inches,  making  a  total  for  the  19  months,  prior  to 
cutting  of  the  rye,  12^  inches.  Again  we  insist 
the  right  kind  of  timely  work  makes  success 
possible.  Have  we  not  given  you  ample  proof? 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DOES  TILLAGE  INCREASE  FERTILITY? 

When  we  speak  of  soil  being  fertile  or  rich,  we 
very  naturally  look  for  large  yields  from  that  soil, 
and  yet,  all  over  the  great  semi-humid  west  we 
have  a  wonderfully  fertile  soil  that  does  not  as  a 
rule  produce  large  crops,  because  the  fertility  or 
plant  food  is  not  available.  Though  the  elements 
are  there,  they  cannot  be  reached  and  utilized  by 
the  rootlets. 

When  we  consider  the  general  climatic  con- 
ditions that  prevail  during  the  growing  season, 
usually  we  find  one  of  two  conditions  quite  un- 
favorable to  large  quantities  of  available  plant 


76  Progressive  Agriculture 

food,  either  a  coarse  loose,  soil  condition  carry- 
ing too  low  per  cent  of  soil  or  capillary  water,  or  a 
compact  surface  and  weeds  which  have  depleted 
the  moisture. 

It  is  only  in  recent  years  that  we  have  realized 
the  wide  difference  in  the  crop  production  of  the 
soil  in  the  same  field  where  only  slight  differences 
as  to  apparent  conditions  seem  to  exist  and  it  has 
led  us  to  plan  many  experiments,  to  find  out  how, 
if  possible,  by  tillage,  this  fertility  can  be  made 
available  not  only  in  larger  quantities,  but  more 
continuous,  believing  much  larger  yields  can  be 
obtained  if  we  can  only  understand  this  better, 
and|know  just  what  to  do. 
h  Under  the  captions  of  Spring  Tillage,  Summer 
Tillage  and  Fall  Tillage,  we  have  covered  the 
principal  points  in  mechanical  work  to  bring  this 
about,  and  in  this  chapter  we  shall  reiterate  to 
some  extent.  But  our  main  object  is  to  prove 
here  by  pictures  and  explanations  that  certain 
soil  and  moisture  conditions  do  govern  as  to  the 
quantity  of  available  plant  food. 

Cut  No.  39  gives  one  illustration.  This  very 
large  crop  of  winter  wheat  was  grown  on  the  C. 
B.  &  Q.  farm  at  Holdrege,  Nebraska,  in  the  some- 
what dry  year  of  1904,  on  land  summer  tilled  in 
1903,  and  seeded  September  tenth  with  25  pounds 
of  seed  per  acre. 

Note  carefully  the  two  especially  interesting 
features  of  this  40  acre  field,  height  and  evenness 
of  stand.  The  yield  was  54|  bushels  per  acre  of 
wheat  that  weighed  64  pounds  to  the  measured 
bushel.  Fifteen  to  twenty  bushels  was  the  com- 


Progressive  Agriculture  77 

mon  yield  of  surrounding  fields  weighing  58  to 
sixty  pounds  per  bushel. 

The  early  spring  started  off  very  favorable  and 
all  surrounding  wheat  looked  fine  but  just  before 
heading  there  came  a  dry  period  causing  a  check 
in  the  growth  of  nearly  all  fields  but  this  one, 
because  of  a  more  perfect  soil  condition.  It  was 
also  because  of  a  surplus  of  moisture  stored  by 
the  summer  tilling  the  year  before,  as  we  then 
supposed, — more  recently  however,  we  have  de- 
cided that  this  very  marked  growth  was  not  so 
much  the  direct  result  of  the  large  amount  of 
additional  available  moisture  during  the  growth 
of  the  wheat,  but  rather  what  the  moisture  had 
done  during  the  summer  tilling  period  and  before 
the  wheat  was  planted,  when  during  midsummer 
we  were  able  to  keep  the  surface  loose  and  prevent 
any  weed  growth  whatever.  The  high  per  cent 
of  capillary  water  which  supplied  the  necessary 
moisture  for  a  heavy  bacterial  growth  or  chemical 
action  and  made  available  the  large  amount  of 
fertility,  was  undoubtedly  the  more  direct 
cause  of  the  rank  growth  shown  in  the  picture 
than  the  water  itself. 

One  square  look  at  this  field  convinces  one  that 
some  very  unusual  condition  existed. 

MORE  EVIDENCE 

As  further  proof  of  the  correctness  of  this 
theory,  note  Cut  No.  38,  a  winter  wheat  field  six 
miles  east  of  Akron,  Colorado  in  1912.  Look 
closely  and  observe  the  high  thick  stand  of  the 
stubble  in  the  foreground,  then  the  numerous 


78  Progressive  Agriculture 

large  shocks.  This  field  has  an  interesting  history, 
as  it  was  summer  tilled  in  1911  with  a  great 
amount  of  care,  for  the  main  purpose  of  ascertain- 
ing whether  a  certain  soil  condition  in  the  heated 
part  of  the  season  during  the  summer  tilling  would 
bring  about  a  more  marked,  rank  growth  the 
following  year.  Our  theory  in  this  was  based  on 
the  keeping  of  the  mulch  at  a  fixed  depth,  loose 
and  dry  as  much  of  the  time  as  the  more  or  less 
rains  and  timely  cultivation  would  permit,  there- 
by, holding  the  high  per  cent  of  capillary  water  in  the 
top  of  the  firm  soil  beneath  the  mulch  contin- 
uously to  permit  a  process  of  chemical  or  bacterial 
action,  expecting  to  materially  increase  the  avail- 
able fertility. 

Whether  we  were  successful  or  not  is  evidenced 
by  the  growth  of  this  wheat  crop  when  we  realize 
that  moisture  was  stored  to  a  depth  of  only  32 
inches  during  the  summer  tilling  process  in  1911, 
and  the  rainfall  up  to  the  cutting  of  this  crop  in 
1912  was  very  light  and  the  last  thirty  days  it 
was  very  warm  giving  our  ideas  a  most  thorough 
test. 

A  further  fact  is,  that  only  18  pounds  of  seed 
were  sown  per  acre  and  that  the  field  was  twice 
harrowed  in  the  spring  to  thin  it,  for  early  in  its 
spring  growth  it  showed  too  thick  a  stand  from 
its  prolific  stooling.  At  one  end  of  the  field  where 
the  seed  was  quite  thin,  one  stool  was  found  with 
213  stalks  from  one  seed  and  numerous  stools  in 
the  other  part  of  the  field  with  one  hundred  and 
over.  As  you  look  at  this  picture,  think  over 
carefully  our  statements. 


Progressive  Agriculture  79 

Cut  No.  36  also  bears  out  the  same  point  re- 
garding the  question  of  increased  fertility  by 
tillage.  Here  are  shown  two  stools  of  wheat  pulled 
the  eighteenth  day  of  November,  1910>  at  Hold- 
rege,  Nebraska  from  two  adjoining  fields,  one 
from  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  farm,  the  other  from  a  field 
immediately  west  of  it.  Both  were  seeded  about 
the  tenth  of  September;  one,  however,  was  sum- 
mer tilled  land,  the  other  was  land  that  had  grown 
a  crop  in  1910,  then  plowed  and  fitted  for  crop 
again,  and  work  well  done  by  a  good  farmer. 
About  the  twentieth  of  September,  ten  days  after 
seeding,  a  very  good  rain  fell,  about  If  inches. 
The  larger  stool  which  is  from  the  summer  tilled 
field  is  not  exceptionally  large,  but  a  fair  average 
sample  and  contains  eighty-three  well  developed 
stools,  or  stalks,  while  the  smaller  stool  contains 
only  six  stalks,  and  it  would  have  been  difficult 
to  have  obtained  a  larger  stool  in  this  field ;  it  was 
above  the  average. 

While  it  is  fair  to  concede  that  the  seed  and  root 
bed  in  the  summer  tilled  field  was  finer  and  firmer, 
and  carried  at  the  start  more  moisture  in  the  top 
six  to  eight  inches  all  of  which  was  more  favorable 
to  the  rapid  growth  and  development  of  the  roots, 
yet  after  the  rain  the  twentieth  of  September,  the 
conditions  regarding  the  firmness  of  the  seed  bed 
and  available  moisture  would  have  been  nearly 
alike  in  both  fields  because  of  the  dissolving  and 
settling  effect  of  the  heavy  rain  on  the  late  fitted 
field  and  practically  all  the  rain  must  have  soaked 
in.  Think  of  fully  fourteen  times  as  great  a 
growth  in  the  same  time,  a  large  per  cent  of  which 


80  Progressive  Agriculture 

must  have  been  due  to  the  greatly  increased 
amount  of  available  plant  food  in  the  summer 
tilled  field. 

While  we  are  giving  you  many  practical  illustra- 
tions, dozens  more  could  be  given  along  the  same 
line. 

Cut  No.  37,  previously  referred  to,  is  further 
evidence  of  increased  fertility  under  specific  soil, 
moisture  and  climatic  conditions.  In  this  illus- 
tration the  evidence  is  along  the  line  of  diminish- 
ing the  amount  of  available  plant  food  or  fertility 
by  carrying  a  too  low  per  cent  of  moisture  in  the 
soil.  Briefly  explaining  No.  37,  some  30  acres  of 
land  were  being  summer  tilled  by  C.  L.  Morgan 
at  Sligo,  Colorado  in  1910,  a  season  of  very  light 
rainfall.  About  half  of  the  field  became  somewhat 
weedy  because  of  a  combination  of  rains  and  other 
work  to  be  done,  while  he  had  kept  the  weeds  out 
of  the  balance  of  the  field ;  however,  the  same  depth 
of  mulch  had  been  kept  over  the  entire  30  acres. 
The  weedy  part  was  plowed  first,  plowing  of  the 
balance  of  the  field  followed  immediately,  same 
depth  of  plowing  and  other  work  was  all  identical, 
the  seeding  done  at  the  same  time  and  stools 
pulled  43  days  after  seeding.  The  average  stool 
in  the  part  kept  clean  was  about  21  stalks,  while 
in  the  part  where  the  weeds  had  grown  the  average 
stool  indicated  about  6,  which  is  unquestionably 
due  to  the  low  per  cent  of  moisture  reduced  by 
weed  growth  in  June  and  early  July,  checking 
bacterial  development.  These  facts  are  also 
borne  out  to  a  degree  in  the  contrast  of  Cuts  Nos. 
24  and  25,  and  Nos.  26  and  27,  as  well  as  in  Cuts 


Progressive  Agriculture  81 

Nos.  30  and  33.    Do  not  fail  to  turn  to  all  these 
pictures  while  you  have  this  question  in  mind. 

Cut  No.  40  is  another  demonstration  of  in- 
creased fertility  by  summer  tilling.  Here  are 
five  heads  out  of  31  from  one  grain  or  stool,  and 
there  are  341  grains  in  the  five  heads  or  an 
average  of  over  68  grains  each.  This  is  not  only 
remarkable  but  very  unusual.  There  were  four 
grains  in  every  group,  a  fact  that  is  very  un- 
common. This  was  grown  near  Morcroft,  Wyo- 
ming, in  1915,  on  land  that  was  summer  tilled  in 
1914  and  seeded,  as  we  advised,  with  20  pounds 
per  acre.  By  an  unavoidable  combination  of 
conditions  the  seeding  was  done  late,  therefore, 
very  little  stooling  in  the  fall.  The  field  started 
off  in  the  spring  seemingly  so  thin  that  the 
owner  decided  it  worthless  and  plowed  up  about 
two-thirds,  leaving  the  balance  to  prove  that  20 
pounds  was  not  seed  enough,  but  to  his  amaze- 
ment he  cut  from  this  small  field,  what  he  ad- 
mitted to  be  the  largest  yield  per  acre  of  the  best 
wheat  he  ever  saw.  The  five  heads  referred  to 
were  from  this  field.  This  is  seemingly  evidence 
in  favor  of  the  correctness  of  three  principles  or 
theories;  first,  that  tillage  of  the  right  kind  at 
the  right  time  is  a  greater  factor  in  influencing 
growth;  second,  that  with  ample  available  plant 
food,  plants  are  much  aided  in  that  all  important 
continuous  growth  that  brings  the  big  yield; 
third,  that  thinner  seeding  for  the  more  ideal 
seed  bed  that  is  supplied  with  a  liberal  amount 
of  available  fertility  is  of  great  importance.  The 
story  also  brings  out  the  interesting  fact,  that 


82  Progressive  Agriculture 

there  are  many  things  yet  to  know  and  study 
about  timely  tillage. 

WHY  THIS  REMARKABLE  STOOLING  AND  GROWTH? 

Just  a  little  discussion  as  to  why  this  remarkable 
growth  and  stooling  may  be  obtained  under  such 
soil,  moisture  and  climatic  conditions,  as  we  have 
endeavored  to  represent.  We  fully  appreciate 
that  we  are  wading  into  a  subject  the  facts  of 
which  are  not  known  to  anyone,  in  fact  the  most 
persistent  investigator  does  not  know.  It  is  just 
the  same  as  in  dealing  with  electricity,  no  one 
knows  what  electricity  really  is,  yet  we  do  know 
that  by  certain  mechanical  devices  we  can  rely 
upon  specific  results,  in  which  we  have  every 
reason  to  believe  in  fact,  say  we  know,  that  so- 
called  electricity  does  this,  or  does  that,  and  is  a 
controlling  element.  So  too,  in  discussing  the 
growth  of  all  plants  we  do  not  know  just  what 
it  is.  Yet  we  have  found  that  by  certain  mechan- 
ical work  under  certain  soil  conditions  combined 
with  a  certain  per  cent  of  air  and  moisture  and 
with  seemingly  certain  amount  of  heat,  that  we 
do  get  certain  specific  marked  growth  in  plants, 
and  for  the  want  of  better  words  to  explain,  after 
studying  the  question  carefully,  we  refer  to  bac- 
terial and  chemical  action  as  the  means  of  bring- 
ing about  or  increasing  the  elements  which  pro- 
mote that  marked  growth  of  the  plant  called 
fertility  or  plant  food.  In  going  into  the  details 
of  the  How  and  the  Why,  we  have  purposely 
kept  out  of  chemistry  and  dealt  almost  entirely 
with  the  physical  or  mechanical  condition  of  the 


Progressive  Agriculture  83 

soil  combined  with  the  utility  of  air  and  water  and 
the  tillage  or  mechanical  work  necessary  to  bring 
the  results  in  the  most  economical  manner,  as  we 
now  understand  these  questions  after  35  years 
observation,  thinking  and  experiments. 

The  following  facts  must  be  recognized  by  the 
average  farmer,  when  the  seed  bed  in  a  field  is 
fairly  fine  and  firm  and  carries  a  high  per  cent 
of  moisture  or  what  is  properly  termed  capillary 
water,  which  indicates  that  each  soil  particle  is 
enveloped  in  a  thin  film  of  water  while  the  minute 
spaces  between  carries  air  and  the  surface  is 
covered  with  a  coarse  loose  mulch  to  protect  or 
preserve  this  condition  and  the  season  is  advanced 
far  enough  so  the  soil  and  atmosphere  is  warm, 
the  plant  makes  a  very  rapid  healthy  growth. 
Why? 

Our  position  is  that  with  careful  summer  tilling 
in  localities  of  light  rainfall,  that  with  soil  con- 
ditions obtained  that  is  indicated  in  Cut  No.  10, 
and  this  uniform  firm  soil  becomes  warm,  the  seed 
after  being  deposited  in  such  soil  quickly  takes  on 
growth  as  soon  as  it  germinates,  and  the  single  stem 
with  its  leaf  is  up  as  indicated  in  the  cut,  the  soil 
moisture,  temperature  and  plant  food  is  so  favor- 
able that  the  rootlets  shoot  out  among  the  soil 
grains,  branch  and  multiply  very  rapidly,  and 
each  little  rootlet  sends  out  a  mass  of  little  hair 
roots  for  feeders  and  the  elements  or  food  is 
consequently  gathered  in,  in  very  much  larger 
quantities  than  the  little  lone  stalk  and  leaves  can 
utilize  or  assimilate.  This  plant  food  as  taken  in 
must,  however,  materialize  somewhere  in  some 


84  Progressive  Agriculture 

form,  therefore,  the  additional  suckers  or  stools 
as  shown  in  the  other  end  of  Cut  No.  10.  These 
suckers  will  keep  increasing  until  the  surface  of 
all  the  foliage  originating  from  the  one  stool 
is  sufficient  to  take  care  of  all  moisture  by  direct 
evaporation  that  is  taken  in  by  the  rootlets. 

Cut  No.  11  shows  not  only  the  ideal  seed  and 
root  bed  with  its  liberally  stooled  plant,  but  the 
less  favorable  or  coarse  seed  and  root  bed  under 
which  condition  germination  and  root  growth  is 
very  slow.  Not  only  is  it  slow  but  the  little  feeders 
along  the  outside  of  the  roots  in  coarser,  looser  soils 
are  far  less  in  number.  Plants  under  similar  con- 
ditions will  stool  very  little  if  any,  because  the 
two  or  three  leaves  can  utilize  or  assimilate  all 
the  few  rootlets  can  gather  in.  Now  as  you  vary 
from  the  fine  perfect  seed  bed  shown  on  one  side 
to  the  coarse,  imperfect  condition  on  the  other 
or  from  the  coarse  to  the  fine  you  change  the 
growing  and  stooling  tendency  of  the  plant. 

INFLUENCE  OF  IDEAL  CONDITIONS 

In  addition  to  the  physical  condition  of  the 
soil  and  the  soil  water,  is  the  available  plant  food. 
Each  one  of  the  three  have  their  respective  in- 
fluence upon  the  stooling  and  growth  of  the  small 
grain  plant.  First,  is  the  carefully  prepared  seed 
bed  with  the  loose  mulch,  then  comes  the  accumu- 
lation of  the  proper  per  cent  of  moisture  and  as 
the  soil  becomes  warm  the  bacterial  or  chemical 
action  then  sets  in  which  develops  the  fertility. 
Where  well  directed  spring  or^ summer  tilling  has 
been  carried  on  as  experience  indicates  and  our 


/ VO///T.S-.';/ w   A yr i.ndl. n,<-  86 

illustrations  show  that  a  much  more  favorable 
condition  exists  and  a  greater  amount  of  plant 
food  is  available,  therefore,  a  still  greater  stooling 
and  growth.  Study  well  the  specific  design  of 
Cuts  No.  10,  and  No.  11,  and  grasp  what  they  really 
represent.  No.  10  illustrates  the  effect  of  an  ideal 
soil  condition  on  growth,  and  No.  11  gives  a 
contrast  of  the  influence  on  growth  of  roots  and 
plants  of  both  ideal  and  the  poor  fitting  of  the  seed 
bed. 

CHAPTER  X 

SUMMER  TILLING  FOR  WHEAT 

Under  the  heading  of  "Preparation  Before  Seed- 
ing", we  have  discussed  at  some  length  summer 
tilling  in  a  broad  sense,  but  in  this  chapter  we 
wish  to  cover  it  with  relation  to  winter  wheat  and 
much  more  in  detail. 

Summer  tilling  is  handling  the  field  from  early 
spring  to  time  of  fall  planting  in  a  manner  not 
only  to  gather  and  store  the  rain  water  as  it  comes, 
but  to  improve  the  soil  and  bring  it  up  to  a  high 
state  of  physical  condition  for  increasing  the 
available  plant  food. 

As  first  outlined  years  ago,  summer  tilling  was 
only  intended  for  wheat  growing  and  more 
especially  winter  wheat.  But  we  have  found  that 
similar  principles,  with  some  modifications,  and 
previously  referred  to  as  Spring  Tillage,  are  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  the  plan  of  growing  corn, 
cane,  broom,  millet,  potatoes  and  similar  crops, 


86  Progressive  Agriculture 

In  applying  the  labor  for  summer  tilling,  as 
previously  explained  under  the  heading  "Prepar- 
ation Before  Seeding",  we  have  verified  the  truth 
that  correct  principles  in  the  preparation  of  the 
seed  and  root  bed  is  a  long  stride  forward  for 
growing  good  crops  in  any  season  in  the  semi- 
humid  sections,  but  to  complete  the  success  it 
must  be  followed  by  timely  seeding  and  the  right 
quantity  per  acre. 

The  first  step  in  summer  tilling,  as  previously 
explained,  is  to  double  disk  the  land  as  early  as 
soil  conditions  will  permit.  This  may  be  done 
with  a  single  disk  by  lapping  half  and  letting  the 
outside  disk  of  the  next  round  fill  in  the  center  or 
dead  furrow  made  by  the  previous  disk.  But  by 
far  the  better  plan  is  to  use  the  tandem  or  double 
disk  shown  in  Cut  No.  22.  It  is  much  easier  to 
regulate  the  depth  and  a  more  uniform  job  can 
be  done  with  less  expense. 

LOOK  OUT  FOR  BLOWING 

It  is  not  desirable,  as  a  rule,  to  disk  deeply, 
especially  the  first  time  over  early  in  the  spring, 
for  the  reason  that  if  it  becomes  hot  and  dry  and 
frequent  high  winds  prevail,  the  early  disked 
field  might  begin  to  blow  if  the  land  was  sandy 
and  more  especially  so  if  the  land  had  been  farmed 
in  a  somewhat  careless  manner  for  several  years, 
in  which  case  it  becomes  loose  and  dead. 

Soil  not  only  becomes  dead  by  untimely  and 
incorrect  tillage  but  it  can  be  kept  alive  by  correct 
timely  work.  If  you  have  not  disked  deeply  on 
the  start  it  is  very  easy,  should  it  start  to  blow, 


Progressive  Agriculture  87 

to  stop  it  by  disking  again  and  cutting  half  or 
three-fourths  inches  deeper.  This  turns  a  little 
of  the  moist  firm  soil  just  beneath  the  mulch  on 
top,  and  by  going  at  right  angles  with  the  wind, 
the  blowing  can  be  stopped.  We  have  done  this 
and  completely  succeeded  in  the  face  of  a  very 
high  wind,  and  still  held  the  top  against  later 
winds  as  the  strips  of  live  moist  soil  laid  on  the 
top  by  the  disk  do  not  fall  apart,  but  resist  the 
wind  like  small  clods.  Quite  sandy  soil  cannot, 
however,  be  safely  summer  tilled. 

For  fall  seeding  the  spring  disking  should  con- 
tinue from  early  spring  up  to  the  first  to  the 
fifteenth  of  June,  then  plow,  and  if  the  land  has 
been  cropped  several  times  plow  six  to  seven 
inches  deep  and  no  deeper.  But  as  referred  to  in 
Class  4  of  the  "Suggestions",  do  not  allow  the 
land  to  remain  long  after  plowing  without  using 
the  sub-surface  packer  or  the  disk  harrow  set 
straight  and  well  weighted  to  help  fill  up  the  open 
spaces  in  and  firm  the  lower  portion  of  the  furrow 
while  it  is  still  moist. 

THE  PROBLEM  OF  WEEDS 

After  plowing  and  sub-packing,  the  surface 
mulch  to  the  depth  of  2|  to  3  inches  should  be 
kept  loose  but  not  too  fine.  Every  possible  pre- 
caution must  be  taken  from  this  time  to  keep 
the  mulch  the  same  depth  and  allow  no  weeds  to 
grow.  The  weeds  must  be  kept  out  and  if  they 
are  kept  out  and  the  surface  continuously  loose, 
big  crops  will  follow,  but  a  few  weeds  will  make 
from  10  to  15  bushels  difference  in  the  yield  of 


88  Progressive  Agriculture 

winter  wheat,  and  more  and  bigger  weeds  will 
cheat  you  out  of  20  to  30  bushels,  as  repeated 
experience  has  shown.  Suitable  tools  for  this 
kind  of  work  are  not  available,  therefore,  the  task 
of  keeping  the  weeds  out  with  such  tools  as  we 
have  is  not  an  easy  one.  It  is  hoped,  however, 
that  some  day  the  real  merits  of  summer  tilling 
as  it  is  now  understood  will  be  sufficiently  appre- 
ciated to  demand  proper  tools,  but  so  far  there 
have  been  so  many  failures  because  of  the  many 
mistakes  that  the  interest  in  waning,  a  most 
unfortunate  fact  in  the  face  of  what  we  are  giving 
you  in  this  book,  and  the  many  similar  big  yields 
during  the  past  fifteen  years.  What  one  can 
successfully  do  another  should  do  if  he  really 
knows  how. 

As  proof  of  our  assertions  regarding  the  cost 
of  weeds,  please  note  Cut  No.  37.  Here  are  two 
stools  of  wheat  from  the  same  summer  tilled  field. 
A  part  of  the  field  was  kept  clean  of  weeds,  a 
part  in  spite  of  conditions  and  reasonable  efforts 
became  somewhat  weedy.  The  weedy  part  of 
the  field  was  plowed  first  and  the  balance  im- 
mediately following,  same  care  was  given  to  the 
entire  field  in  plowing,  packing  and  cultivating  up 
to  seed  time,  then  to  make  conditions  apparently 
all  the  more  alike,  the  night  following  the  seeding 
l\  inches  of  rain  fell  over  the  entire  field.  Forty- 
three  days  after  seeding  the  stools  of  wheat,  shown 
in  the  cut  referred  to,  were  pulled.  The  larger 
ones  from  the  field  kept  clean  and  selected  as  an 
average  sample  of  the  stooling  shows  20  stools 
or  stalks;  the  smaller  ones  from  the  part  that  was 


Progressive  Agriculture  89 

weedy  averaged  only  6  stools,  but  these  weeds 
were  turned  under  in  early  July,  and  from  the 
plowing  to  the  pulling  of  the  sample  stools  no 
more  weeds  had  grown,  45  to  49  days  after  plow- 
ing the  seeding  was  done,  and  43  days  after  seed- 
ing or  about  90  days  after  the  weeds  were  plowed 
under  we  observe  this  wide  difference  in  growth 
and  stooling.  Is  there  anything  in  tillage? 
Certainly  if  you  know  how. 

The  weeds  in  this  case  had  probably  grown 
sufficient  to  reduce  the  moisture  prior  to  plowing 
to  the  degree  that  the  chemical  or  bacterial  action 
was  largely  checked,  therefore,  less  available  plant 
food.  Also  the  moisture  was  probably  reduced 
to  that  degree  that  when  the  plowing  was  done  the 
soil  did  not  settle  down  as  closely  when  the  packer 
was  pulled  over  the  field,  therefore,  more  open- 
ings or  spaces  were  left  in  the  seed  and  root  bed. 

EFFECT    OF   RAINS    ON   SUMMER   TILLING 

The  coarser  the  mulch  over  the  surface  is  kept, 
the  less  packing  of  the  mulch  by  the  light  rains, 
and  the  more  of  the  rain  water  soaks  down  below. 
This  coarse  mulch  is  best  obtained  by  the  tandem 
disk  and  if  the  disk  manufacturers  would  put 
carrying  wheels  on  these  tandem  disks,  so  we 
could  regulate  the  depth  by  these  wheels  and  still 
leave  the  disk  sections  set  at  such  angle  as  would 
do  the  best  work,  a  much  more  complete  destruc- 
tion of  the  weeds  would  be  possible  without  cutting 
so  deep  as  to  destroy  the  seed  bed. 

The  difficulty  of  the  fine  mulch  is  brought  out 
in  Cut  No.  9.  When  the  mulch  has  been  so  handled 


90  Progressive  Agriculture 

as  to  become  very  fine  or  dust  like,  it  takes  little 
rain  to  settle  this  top  very  solid  and  should  the 
rain  be  sufficient  to  settle  the  entire  depth  of  the 
mulch,  a  few  hours  of  sunshine  and  you  have  a 
dense  crust,  out  of  what  should  be  your  mulch,  a 
very  unfavorable  condition.  Therefore  it  must  soon 
be  again  loosened. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  mulch  had  been  kept 
coarse,  especially  on  the  top,  as  shown  in  Cut  No. 
8,  the  light  showers  have  very  little  effect  and  as 
previously  stated  the  coarse  mulch  is  by  far  the 
most  economical,  for  it  requires  less  frequent 
work  and  takes  in  more  moisture,  in  fact  several 
modest  rains  might  fall  without  seriously  effecting 
the  protection  effect  of  the  mulch,  and  it  is  more 
effective  in  preventing  loss  by  evaporation  at  all 
times,  than  the  dust  mulch. 

ADVANTAGE    OF   THE   PACIFIC    COAST    IN    SUMMER 
TILLING 

On  the  Pacific  coast  little  or  no  rain  falls  in  the 
summer  time,  so  the  serious  packing  effect  of  the 
summer  rains  are  eliminated,  but  the  weed  ques- 
tion is  even  more  serious  and  for  best  results  must 
be  kept  out.  The  coarse  mulch,  however,  is 
quite  as  vital  in  holding  the  moisture  there  also. 


Progressive  Agriculture  91 

CHAPTER  XI 

AMOUNT  OF  SEED  WHEAT  PER  ACRE 

The  question  of  how  much  seed  wheat  to  sow 
per  acre  is  a  very  broad  one  and  needs  much 
consideration.  The  mechanical  and  physical  con- 
dition of  each  field  as  previously  explained  must 
be  considered  almost  by  itself,  as  regards  the 
quantity  of  seed.  Years  ago,  60, 75  or  90  pounds  of 
wheat  per  acre  was  the  universal  practice  with  no 
regard  whatever  as  to  the  soil  condition  or  location. 
There  is  no  doubt  in  our  mind,  after  fifteen  years 
of  study  on  the  relation  of  soil  conditions  to  the 
quantity  of  seed  and  the  final  crop  yield  in  any 
and  all  kinds  of  seasons,  that  in  many  cases  the 
50  or  60  pounds  of  winter  wheat  seed  has  been 
directly  responsible  for  the  low  yield  or  failure  in 
seasons  where  hot,  dry  periods  have  come  within 
the  last  six  to  eight  weeks  of  the  growing  season 
and  where  the  field  has  been  well  fitted. 

We  recall  distinctly  in  1912  a  field  containing 
about  20  acres  that  was  summer  tilled  northwest 
of  Indianola,  Nebraska.  The  summer  tilling  was 
well  done  and  the  seed  sown  early  in  September, 
60  pounds  of  winter  wheat  per  acre,  on  a  theory 
that  a  field  in  such  fine  condition  would  stand  it. 
Early  in  the  spring  this  field  was  deservedly 
commented  upon  very  favorably.  It  was  the  first 
to  show  growth  and  was  very  thick  and  color 
good,  and  as  both  1912  and  1913  were  unfavorable 
years,  because  of  light  rainfall  and  excessive  heat, 
the  average  winter  wheat  field  under  ordinary 


92  Progressive  Agriculture 

treatment  in  early  spring  did  not  have  a  very 
encouraging  appearance.  But  early  June  was 
reached  with  continued  hot,  dry  weather  and  the 
grand  prospect  of  this  summer  tilled  field  was 
soon  blighted.  It  required  too  much  moisture  to 
keep  up  the  growth  of  so  much  foliage.  It  was 
really  the  first  field  to  show  firing  and  never  pro- 
duced one  bushel,  and  was  heralded  far  and  wide 
as  evidence  that  summer  tilling  was  a  failure. 
Had  20  pounds  of  seed  been  sown  per  acre  there 
would  doubtless  have  been  a  good  crop  matured, 
as  evidenced  by  the  summer  tilled  field  at  Strat- 
ton,  Nebraska,  45  miles  west  of  Indianola.  The 
Desens  field  shown  in  Cut  No.  33,  was  grown  the 
same  year  and  a  33  bushel  crop  matured,  due  very 
largely  to  the  lighter  seeding  following  the  good 
tillage.  But  had  the  Desens  field  been  seeded  with 
even  45  pounds  under  the  conditions  that  existed 
it  would  have  resulted  in  little  or  no  crop. 

We  have  endeavored  to  show  that  the  more 
perfect  the  seed  and  root  bed  the  less  seed  should 
be  sown.  Then  again,  in  case  of  fall  seeding,  the 
later^you  put  in  the  seed  the  more  seed  is  required. 
The  stand  in  the  spring  must  not  be  too  thick; 
then  again,  if  too  thin  it  cannot  bring  a  good 
yield.  This  question  can  only  be  settled  by  close 
observation  and  experience.  It  is  however  a  vital 
one. 

FALL  SEEDING  SUMMER  TILLED  LAND 

We  will  assume  that  summer  tilling  has  been 
well  done  by  the  plowing  being  done  early  in  June 
and  weeds  kept  practically  clean  from  the  field 


Progressive  Agriculture  93 

and  location  north-east  Colorado,  we  would  seed 
promptly  September  first,  with  18  pounds  of  good 
plump  seed. 

If  however,  the  plowing  has  been  later  and  the 
seed  bed  has  not  been  favored  with  fairly  good 
rains  more  seed  must  be  sown,  possibly  25  pounds 
per  acre.  Good  judgment  as  to  its  possible  stand 
must  be  exercised  and  can  only  come  from  close 
attention  to  details. 

THE     REMEDY     FOR     TOO     THICK    STAND 

In  case  of  too  much  seed  followed  by  liberal 
stooling,  the  field  should  be  single  disked  in  the 
spring  with  disk  set  at  a  sufficient  angle  to  destroy 
enough  to  bring  the  stand  down  to  proper  amount. 
You  cannot  do  one  part  of  the  work  of  summer 
tilling  correctly,  and  some  other  part  wrong  and 
get  results.  Every  part  of  a  telephone,  phono- 
graph or  automobile  must  be  rightly  adjusted  and 
in  its  place  or  it  is  a  failure.  So,  too,  in  growing 
good  crops  in  the  semi-humid  sections,  quantity 
of  seed  and  time  of  seeding  must  be  as  carefully 
considered  as  tillage. 

FALL    SEEDING    ON    FALL    TILLED    LAND 

Where  wheat  follows  wheat  on  fall  tilled  land, 
more  seed  is  needed,  but  if  a  good,  fine,  firm  seed 
bed  has  been  obtained  and  a  fair  amount  of 
moisture  in  the  soil,  30  pounds  is  ample  in  case  of 
early  seeding.  If  however,  you  have  very  little 
moisture,  early  seeding  on  fall  fitted  land  is  not 
desirable,  for  too  much  growth  and  no  fall  rains 


94  Progressive  Agriculture 

might  exhaust  the  moisture  to  that  degree  that 
winter  killing  might  be  the  result. 

Plenty  of  moisture  in  the  soil  in  the  spring  to 
draw  the  frost  from  the  roots  in  late  winter  or 
early  spring  thawing  and  freezing  is  proof  against, 
so-called,  winter  killing  which  in  reality  is  spring 
killing. 

SPRING  WHEAT 

In  seeding  spring  wheat,  about  one-third  more 
wheat  is  necessary  than  for  fall  wheat  in  fairly 
early  seeding,  and  possibly  one-half  more  seed  in 
case  of  late  seeding  on  well  fitted  land. 

Much  depends  on  the  physical  condition  of  the 
seed  and  root  bed  and  whether  the  land  was  fall 
or  spring  plowed,  the  real  point  being  whether 
the  wheat  stools  liberally  or  not,  which  is  governed 
by  the  degree  of  care  in  fitting  the  seed  bed  and 
the  available  moisture  and  fertility. 


CHAPTER  XII 

DISKING  AFTER  THE  HARVESTER 

Cut  No.  21  shows  a  very  economical  way  of 
harvesting  wheat  and  double  disking  the  land 
at  the  same  time  with  a  tandem  or  double  disk 
harrow.  No  matter  what  crop  is  being  cut,  this 
disking  we  have  always  found  of  great  value. 
J.  M.  Moyer,  Yuma,  Colorado  wrote  under  date 
of  October  4,  1915: 

"  Have  just  made  examinations  regarding  mois- 
ture conditions  in  several  fields.  I  find  in  the 


Progressive  Agriculture  95 

stubble  fields  untouched  the  moisture  is  nearly 
all  gone,  while  in  stubble  fields  that  were  double 
disked  after  the  harvester,  I  do  not  strike  dry 
ground  at  72  inches,  the  length  of  my  auger; 
but  I  do  not  find  as  high  per  cent  of  moisture  in 
the  disked  stubble  field  as  in  my  summer  tilled 
fields.  I  also  find  the  native  sod  dry  from  the  top 
down.  This  wide  difference  in  face  of  the  fact  that 
6J  inches  of  rain  fell  in  August  and  1|  inches  in 
September  is  certainly  very  interesting." 

While  many  farmers  have  learned  the  value  of 
early  spring  disking  yet  very  few  practice  disking 
after  the  harvest.  In  the  average  midsummer  season 
over  the  semi-humid  sections,  the  practice  or  non- 
practice  of  double  disking  after  the  harvest  means 
almost  the  difference  of  success  or  failure  when 
the  following  crop  growing  season  is  similar  to 
1913  or  1914.  As  previously  stated  there  is  no 
time  that  your  soil  is  improved  to  as  great  a 
degree  by  keeping  it  moist  as  in  July,  August  and 
September. 

Some  seasons  heavy  rains  follow  the  disking. 
If  a  very  heavy  stubble  has  been  disked  into  the 
top  soil  these  rains  have  very  little  detrimental 
effect,  but  where  a  short  and  somewhat  thin 
stubble  is  disked  in,  a  fairly  heavy  rain  will  not 
only  settle  the  mulch  but  cause  weeds  to  start 
much  quicker.  In  this  case  disking  again  is  im- 
portant and  if  done  before  the  weeds  get  any  size 
they  will  be  practically  eliminated.  Single  disking 
the  second  time  will  do  a  very  good  job  if  a  bull 
tongue  is  attached  to  the  disk  harrow  to  tear  up 
the  center  or  ridge  between  the  two  sections  to 


96  Progressive  Agriculture 

leave  this  ridge  to  dry  out  is  very  wrong,  but 
double  disking  is  much  better.  The  advantage  of 
this  disking  is  four  fold.  Keeps  the  weeds  from 
growing,  holds  the  moisture  in  the  land,  causes 
much  more  of  each  subsequent  rain  to  go  into  the 
soil  and  permits  of  easier  and  better  plowing. 

CROPS  AND  THE  SOIL  FERTILITY 

The  question  is  often  asked,  and  rightly,  do 
continued  big  crops  deplete  the  soil  of  its'  avail- 
able fertility  more  than  small  crops? 

Theoretically,  possibly  yes,  but  practically  we 
are  in  doubt  when  applied  to  the  semi-humid 
sections,  providing  good  and  well  directed  tillage 
is  carried  on.  Just  look  at  Cut  No.  29.  Note  the 
even  stand  above  the  top  wire  of  the  fence,  then 
think  that  it  averaged  45|  bushels  per  acre  of 
62  pound  wheat,  then  glance  at  Cut  No.  21,  where 
this  same  field  is  being  cut,  then  realize  that  the 
snarled  up  stubble  in  the  foreground  has  had  a 
tandem  or  double  disk  pulled  over  it  with  weight 
enough  on  the  disk  to  force  the  blades  three  inches 
into  the  soil,  and  you  can  grasp  some  idea  of  how 
much  organic  matter  is  available  to  be  worked 
into  the  soil.  It  is  not  only  this  long  heavy  growth 
of  stubble,  but  the  immense  growth  of  roots  that 
must  have  permeated  the  top  soil  in  growing  this 
wheat.  Then  look  at  Cut  No.  25  or  Cut  No.  27 
and  think  how  much  stubble  would  be  left  to 
plow  under  when  each  crop  was  harvested,  also 
the  difference  in  root  growth.  Do  you  grasp  the 
significance  of  these  facts? 

If  you  can  keep  up  the  organic  matter  in  the 


Progressive  Agriculture  97 

soil,  from  which  the  humus  is  derived,  may  it  not 
be  reasonable  to  expect  continued  good  results, 
with  the  right  kind  of  timely  tillage? 

In  plowing  under  such  stubble  as  is  shown  in 
the  disked  field  referred  to,  for  best  results,  the 
soil  should  be  moist  and  plowed  fully  6  inches  deep 
with  a  moldboard  plow  that  will  turn  the  furrow 
completely  over  burying  the  stubble  in  the 
bottom,  then  follow  with  the  sub-surface  packer 
well  weighted.  This  combined  condition  and  work 
will  pack  the  soil  onto  the  stubble  and  so  fully 
obliterate  the  air  spaces  that  decomposition  will 
soon  take  place  especially  if  plowed  early  when 
the  soil  is  warm  and  just  as  soon  as  the  cell 
structure  of  the  stubble  begins  to  break  down  and 
the  decomposing  bacteria  get  busy,  your  condi- 
tion begins  to  improve. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CANE  FOR  HAY  AND  SILAGE 

That  the  feed  value  per  ton  of  cane  hay  de- 
pends very  much  on  the  time  of  planting,  con- 
dition of  the  land  when  planted,  and  the  time 
it  takes  for  the  crop  to  grow,  there  can  be  no 
question.  With  a  number  of  experiments  in  1913 
and  eighty  especially  handled  fields  in  1914 
compared  with  a  hundred  or  more  planted  in  the 
usual  manner,  and  over  a  hundred  experiments  in 
the  wet  season  of  1915,  this  question  is  certainly 
a  most  interesting  one.  We  saw  a  number  of 

4 


98  Progressive  Agriculture 

cane  fields  in  the  somewhat  drouthy  year  of  1914 
that  made  five  tons  of  choice,  high  quality  cane 
hay  right  beside  other  fields  that  made  only  about 
a  half  to  a  ton  per  acre  of  poor  quality. 

CANE  HAY  A  VALUABLE  CROP 

The  smaller  yields  were  invariably  from  early 
planting  from  the  fifteenth  of  May  to  June  tenth, 
while  the  larger  yields  were  mainly  planted  from 
July  5  to  17,  on  carefully  spring  tilled  land. 
See  Cut  No.  3 ;  here  are  two  fields  adjoining  grown 
by  R.  Crook,  Wilsonville  Nebraska  in  1914. 
The  front  field  planted  May  eighteenth,  produced 
about  half  a  ton  of  low  grade  hay  per  acre;  the 
rear  field  planted  July  fifteenth  made  five  tons  of 
fine  quality  hay  per  acre,  the  direct  result  of  care- 
ful spring  tillage  as  previously  explained.  Here 
in  this  field  is  a  most  interesting  and  broad  lesson, 
at  the  time  the  photo  was  taken  the  early  planted 
was  dead  and  brown  while  the  rear  one  was  rank 
and  green  and  only  just  beginning  to  head.  The 
feeding  value  of  the  later  planted  on  carefully 
spring  tilled  land  in  all  the  experiments  was 
invariably  the  highest. 

SPRING  TILLING  FOR  CANE  HAY 

The  preparation  of  the  land  for  cane  hay 
should  be  along  the  same  plan  as  outlined  in 
" Spring  Tillage  For  Corn",  but  the  careful  tillage 
should  be  continued  three  to  five  weeks  longer 
before  planting.  There  are  three  important  ad- 
vantages found  in  this  continued  careful  cultiva- 
tion before  planting  for  the  production  of  cane 
hay: 


Progressive  Agriculture  99 

First.  By  beginning  early  and  continuing  on 
through  to  some  date  from  June  25  to  July  20 
(depending  on  your  location)  you  will  not  only 
retain  the  moisture  that  you  have  in  the  soil  from 
the  fall  and  winter  rains  and  snow,  but  you  can 
with  proper  care  add  to  it  practically  all  the  spring 
rains  up  to  the  time  of  planting;  thereby,  having 
more  available  moisture  from  the  time  of  plant- 
ing to  maturity  than  if  planted  earlier.  See  Cut 
No.  44,  eight  acres  of  cane  grown  by  August 
Desens,  in  the  drouthy  year  of  1914,  spring  tilled 
up  to  July  twenty-seventh,  drilled  in  with  a 
common  grain  drill,  30  pounds  of  cane  seed  per 
acre,  photo  six  weeks  later  at  which  time  the  cane 
had  not  reached  its  full  growth  by  fully  10  inches. 
This  field  yielded  fully  6  tons  of  hay  per  acre. 
At  the  time  this  was  planted  many  adjoining 
fields  planted  in  early  June  had  already  begun  to 
fire.  One  field  across  the  road  drilled  in  June 
fifth,  was  then  drying  up  and  made  between  half 
and  three-fourths  tons  per  acre  including  Russian 
thistles. 

Second.  If  the  seed  and  root  bed  is  made  firm 
and  fine  in  the  early  work  and  the  surface  kept 
loose  and  clean  of  weeds,  a  greatly  increased 
amount  of  available  fertility  will  be  accessible 
to  the  rootlets  of  the  young  plants.  As  previously 
outlined,  this  coupled  with  warm  soil  and  a  fine, 
firm,  moist  seed  and  root  bed  will  promote  an 
exceedingly  rapid  growth  of  the  plant,  and  a 
quick  grown  plant  is  more  tender  and  has  less 
crude  fiber. 

Third.     By  delaying  seeding  until  some  date 


100  Progressive  Agriculture 

between  June  20  and  July  20,  depending  on  alti- 
tude, and  to  some  extent  on  latitude,  you  secure  a 
warmer  soil  in  which  to  start  the  young  plants. 
The  higher  the  elevation  the  nearer  you  should 
come  to  the  earlier  date.  As  a  basis  for  a  planting 
time  date  we  would  say  that  in  the  central  part 
of  Nebraska  and  on  the  Kansas  line,  we  should 
plant  July  twentieth  on  carefully  spring  tilled 
land  and  slightly  earlier  as  you  go  northward  and 
rise  in  altitude  in  proportion  to  the  seasons' 
changes.  By  this  time  the  soil  is  thoroughly 
warmed  and  a  greater  amount  of  fertility  is 
available.  This  coupled  with  ample  moisture 
will  bring  about  the  quick  germination  and  a 
rapid  root  growth  followed  by  continuous  growth 
of  the  plant  which  means  tender,  succulent  and 
palatable  fodder  that  is  hard  to  excel  and  all 
stock  eagerly  eat  it.  Hogs  as  well  as  cattle  indi- 
cate great  fondness  for  it  when  well  cured. 

HOW  TO  PLANT  CANE  SEED 

For  cane  hay,  we  would  put  the  seed  in  with  a 
common  grain  drill.  The  land  should  be  plowed 
by  the  fifteenth  of  May,  and  the  surface  kept 
loose  and  free  from  weeds.  By  close  attention  to 
holding  the  moisture  up  to  plowing,  the  soil  will 
be  moist  and  in  better  condition  to  plow.  The 
plowing  should  be  five  to  seven  inches  deep, 
depending  on  the  number  of  years  the  field  has 
been  cropped,  and  the  plow  followed  closely  with 
the  sub-surface  packer.  If  no  sub-surface  packer 
is  available,  use  the  disk  harrow  set  straight  and 
well  weighted.  From  this  on  to  the  time  of  seed- 


Progressive  Agri<Mtwt  10.1 

ing,  the  surface  two  and  one-half  inches  must  be 
kept  loose  and  somewhat  coarse  and  no  weeds 
allowed  to  grow.  The  more  carefully  this  part 
is  carried  out  the  more  life  is  discernable  in  the 
soil  and  a  proportionate  ranker  growth  of  the  cane 
is  noticeable. 

QUANTITY  OF  CANE  SEED 

To  increase  the  certainty  of  continuous  growth 
under  ideal  conditions,  and  anticipating  the  pos- 
sible drouth  later  on,  30  pounds  of  black  amber 
cane  seed  per  acre  is  ample.  See  Cuts  No.  3  and 
No.  44.  The  rear  field  in  Cut  No.  3,  also  the  field  in 
Cut  No.  44  were  sown  with  30  pounds  of  seed  per 
acre.  The  seed  should  be  dropped  just  into  the  top 
of  the  firm,  moist  soil.  Be  sure,  however,  that 
you  have  good  seed  and  that  your  seed  bed  is 
firm  and  mulch  not  too  deep. 

CANE  FOR  THE  SILO 

Cane  for  the  silo  should  be  planted  in  rows  and 
cultivated.  If  put  in  with  a  lister,  plant  about 
three  to  four  weeks  earlier  than  for  cane  hay  as 
above  outlined,  and  if  surface  planted  with  a 
corn  planter,  plant  five  to  seven  days  later  than 
with  lister,  and  apply  the  same  early  disking  and 
careful  handling  before  planting  followed  with 
timely  tillage  afterwards.  Cane  for  silo  should 
be  more  mature  than  for  hay;  in  fact  it  should 
be  headed  and  seed  nearly  matured,  but  the  same 
continuous  rapid  growth  is  desirable. 

See  Cut  No.  45.  This  cane  was  grown  on 
the  H.  0.  Ranch  near  Madrid,  Nebraska  in  1914, 


102  Progressive  Agriculture 

a  dry,  hot  year.  This  field  was  very  carefully 
summer  tilled  up  to  June  twentieth,  then  the  seed 
listed  in  rows  three  feet  and  four  inches  followed 
by  careful  cultivation.  The  entire  40-acre  crop 
was  put  into  two  large  silos  and  figured  up  8^ 
tons  of  ensilage  per  acre,  fully  double  the  amount 
ever  grown  before  on  this  ranch  even  in  good  years. 
One  near  by  field  did  not  produce  one-sixth  of  the 
amount  of  feed.  It  was  planted  only  about  three 
weeks  earlier  but  on  land  not  early  disked. 

When  such  crops  of  number  one  cane  hay  can 
be  grown  in  a  drouthy  year  like  1914,  as  are 
shown  in  Cuts  No.  3  and  44,  and  a  few  fields  in 
1913,  with  the  numerous  marked  yields  in  1915, 
the  question  of  good  feed  for  stock  in  ample  quan- 
tities need  not  worry  any  one  if  he  will  adopt 
the  plan  outlined.  Just  what  this  means  to  the 
semi-humid  country  may  be  more  fully  realized 
when  we  call  to  mind  the  fact  that  a  number  of 
farmers  were  so  short  of  feed  some  seasons  within 
the  past  seven,  that  they  were  obliged  to  sell  a 
part  of  their  stock  for  the  want  of  feed  to  take 
them  through,  and  one  season  especially  any 
ordinary  quality  of  hay  brought  $20.00  per  ton. 
then  to  realize  that  such  crops  of  cane  hay  as 
are  shown  in  Cuts  3  and  44,  could  have  been  grown 
just  the  same  that  year  as  in  1914,  and  the  crop 
would  have  been  worth  $100.00  per  acre.  Is  there 
any  real  value  in  knowing  that  this  can  be  done 
and  how  to  do  it? 


Progressive  Agriculture  103 

CHAPTER  XVI 

KAFFIR  CORN 

In  Cut  No.  42,  is  shown  a  fine  growth  of  kaffir 
corn  planted  by  Mr.  Moench,  at  Orleans,  Ne- 
braska on  July  14,  1914,  on  spring  tilled  land, 
photographed  August  twentieth,  36  days  from 
planting  and  36  inches  high.  This  field  made  a 
very  marked  growth  and  was  fully  70  inches  high 
when  harvested. 

Cut  No.  43  is  another  very  interesting  result  in 
spring  tilled  land  at  Norton  Kansas,  grown  by 
Mr.  Arthur  Saum,  planted  July  tenth  and  photo- 
graphed August  twenty-fourth,  42  days  after 
planting  and  52  inches  high  a  very  interesting 
field  of  kaffir  corn. 

Kaffir  corn  is  supposed  to  be  something 
of  a  drouth  resisting  plant,  from  the  fact  of  its 
habit  of  closing  its  doors  to  any  growth  during 
its  early  stages  when  the  moisture  is  almost  gone. 
Then  if  the  rain  is  not  too  far  away,  when  it  does 
come  the  kaffir  plant  makes  another  attempt  to 
grow;  but  its  growth  after  such  dormant  or  hiber- 
nating periods  is  never  very  great.  In  these  two 
and  about  a  dozen  other  fields  similarly  handled 
we  observe  a  very  rapid  growth,  but  in  no  case 
quite  equal  to  the  amber  cane,  although  a  similar 
degree  of  eagerness  by  cattle  and  horses  to  eat  it 
as  against  the  slower  grown  or  more  stunted 
plants  was  reported  in  all  cases,  indicating  the 
advantage  of  the  quick  or  forced  grown  plant. 


104  Progressive  Agriculture 

CHAPTER  XV 

HOG  OR  BROOM  CORN  MILLET 

Cut  No.  41,  shows  a  field  of  hog  millet  grown 
on  the  H.  0.  ranch,  Madrid,  Nebraska.  This 
was  seeded  July  10,  1914,  photographed  August, 
fourteenth,  35  days  from  planting  and  is  three  feet 
high  and  headed.  It  is  known  in  the  central  west 
as  hog  millet,  doubtless  because  of  the  feeding 
and  fattening  value  of  the  grain  for  hogs.  It 
seems  to  have  a  place  in  the  dryer  portions  of 
the  semi-humid  sections  as  it  possesses  some 
interesting  characteristics. 

First,  its  grain  when  mature  has  nearly  the 
same  feeding  value  as  corn. 

Second,  it  will  grow  and  mature  a  crop  of  seed 
in  the  shortest  time  of  any  grain  plant  known. 
We  have  seen  it  cut  with  perfectly  matured  seed 
in  from  43  to  55  days. 

Third,  it  is  a  heavy  yielder  when  conditions  are 
most  favorable.  We  have  known  of  numerous 
yields  of  75  to  85  bushels  per  acre  and  one  yield 
of  100  bushels  per  acre,  on  a  basis  of  50  pounds 
per  bushel,  but  the  seed  when  fully  matured 
weighs  fully  60  pounds  to  the  measured  bushel. 

We  know  of  a  number  of  farmers  who  are  grow- 
ing it  for  the  exclusive  grain  in  fattening  hogs  in 
the  higher  altitudes. 

Spring  tilling  up  to  the  time  the  soil  is  thorough- 
ly warmed  by  early  summer  heat,  is  the  proper 
procedure;  then  drill  with  the  common  grain  drill, 
about  20  pounds  of  seed  per  acre. 


Progressive  Agriculture  105 

A  little  explanation  of  the  habit  of  the  plant 
will  clearly  show  the  vital  importance  of  a  certain 
soil  condition  for  sure  results. 

If  the  seed  bed  is  fine  and  firm  and  has  been 
held  in  a  uniform  condition  for  three  to  four 
weeks  by  spring  tillage  before  seeding,  then  after 
the  seed  germinates  a  small  but  vigorous  system 
of  roots  form.  Next  a  stem  reaches  the  surf  ace  and 
immediately  a  crown  is  formed  right  at  the  top 
of  the  loose  soil  and  the  leaves  begin  to  form. 
When  the  third  leaf  appears,  roots  begin  to 
start  from  the  bottom  of  this  crown  to  go  down 
into  the  soil.  If  by  chance  there  is  two  inches  or 
more  dry  mulch  on  top  of  the  moist  soil,  these 
roots  find  difficulty  in  reaching  the  moist  soil 
as  it  seems  to  be  too  far  to  go  without  moisture  and 
not  infrequently  the  plant  withers,  as  the  tiny 
thread  that  supplies  the  elements  of  growth  from 
the  original  roots  below  to  the  crown  cannot  sup- 
port the  plant.  If,  however,  there  is  not  more 
than  one  inch  of  loose  soil  or  a  rain  happens  to 
fall  and  moisten  the  mulch,  these  roots  soon  get 
busy  in  the  moist  soil  and  very  rapid  growth  of 
the  plant  follows.  Therefore,  a  little  extra  care  in 
fitting  means  many  bushels  difference  in  yield. 
We  saw  fields  in  1914  that  were  entire  failures 
because  of  a  deep  mulch  and  a  prolonged  period 
of  hot,  dry  weather. 


106  Progressive  Agriculture 

CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  GARDEN 

A  good  farm  garden  is  the  admiration  of  every- 
body, not  only  the  beauty  of  a  variety  of  rank, 
healthy  growing  vegetables,  but  there  is  so  much 
palatable,  healthy  food  to  come  from  it  that  one's 
mouth  almost  waters,  as  he  thinks  of  the  many 
good  dishes  to  be  made  from  the  crop  of  radishes, 
lettuce  and  young  onions,  melons  and  tomatoes, 
cauliflower  and  cabbage,  beets,  parsnips,  carrots 
and  many  other  equally  desirable  roots. 

All  these  things  are  easy  if  you  will  have  a  little 
system  in  doing  the  work.  Begin  early  every 
spring  and  spread  a  rather  modest  coating  of  well 
rotted  manure  evenly,  very  evenly  over  the  surface 
and  disk  it  in,  cutting  3  to  4  inches.  Then  plow 
about  7  inches,  turning  your  furrow  as  evenly 
as  possible  and  completely  bottom  up.  After 
plowing  begin  harrowing  and  harrow  it  several 
times  before  it  has  had  time  to  dry  on  top  and 
become  cloddy.  Every  time  it  rains  watch  it; 
don't  harrow  too  wet,  but  don't  wait  too  long 
after  the  rain.  Harrow  just  to  loosen  the  top 
and  keep  up  this  plan.  Don't  let  the  weeds  grow. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  radishes,  lettuce 
and  onions  which  may  go  in  early  for  early  use, 
don't  plant  until  the  soil  is  warm. 

Early  planting  of  the  garden  is  an  old  rule  that 
has  come  down  many  generations,  but  if  you  want 
nice,  crisp,  tender,  sweet  cucumbers,  melons  and 
vegetables  and  plenty  of  them,  try  the  early  spring 


Progressive  Agriculture  107 

tilling  act  and  delay  your  principal  planting  until 
the  soil  has  a  warm  life-like  feeling. 

However,  while  you  delay  your  planting,  don't 
delay  the  cultivation.  Absolutely  keep  the  top 
1|  to  2  inches  loose,  then  after  planting  keep  it 
timely  cultivated.  Thin  out  the  plants;  don't 
leave  them  too  thick. 

Put  all  your  rows  just  far  enough  apart  to  admit 
cultivating  with  a  horse. 

One  year  of  persistent  work  along  these  lines 
and  you  will  get  the  habit,  for  there  is  nothing 
nicer  than  these  garden  crops  when  tender  and 
sweet,  and  nothing  aids  these  qualifications  so 
completely  as  to  grow  them  quickly.  Note  Cut 
No.  47.  This  picture  does  not  do  the  row  of  pie 
plant  justice.  There  are  leaves  in  this  bunch 
fully  16  inches  across  and  stems  2  inches  through  at 
the  bottom.  Some  well  rotted  manure  and  good 
tillage  did  it.  Is  there  anything  nicer  than  tender 
quick  grown  pie  plant  for  pies  or  sauce  in  mid- 
summer? This  field  is  only  a  short  distance  from 
northeast  Colorado. 


108  Progressive  Agriculture 

CHAPTER  XVII 

TREES  ON  THE  FARM 

Anyone  living  on  the  farm  in  the  great  plains 
country  knows  the  pleasing  as  well  as  the  intrinsic 
value  of  trees  around  the  home.  A  small,  well- 
located  and  well-groomed  grove  about  the  build- 
ings on  the  farm,  lends  enchantment  not  only  to 
the  occupants  of  the  home  but  to  the  passerby. 
They  add  many  times  their  cost  to  the  real  value 
of  the  farm;  in  fact  strong,  healthy  trees  lend 
value  to  all  adjoining  lands.  This  is  true  because 
of  the  altogether  too  common  idea  that  trees 
cannot  be  successfully  grown  or  at  least  four  to 
six  years  is  the  limit  of  their  life  in  all  semi-humid 
sections.  Fortunately  there  are  now  many  groves 
ten  to  twenty  years  old  that  fully  disapprove  this 
idea. 

Trees,  like  corn,  wheat,  vegetables  and  many 
other  crops,  will  not  grow  and  thrive  where  con- 
ditions are  such  that  they  cannot.  The  reason 
many  groves  and  orchards  have  failed  in  much  of 
the  semi-humid  country  is  the  same  reason  that 
some  of  the  crops  have  failed.  Take  for  illustra- 
tion Cut  No.  25.  Here  is  a  piece  of  wheat  grown 
in  the  very  wet  year  of  1915,  what  is  the  difficulty? 

There  are  certain  elements  that  produce  a  very 
rank,  healthy  growth  that  are  not  available  until 
certain  soil  conditions  exist,  these  conditions  are 
not  natural,  they  must  be  artificially  produced  by 
mechanical  work  and  is  most  beautifully  illustrat- 
ed by  that  old  adage.  Cultivation  is  manure, 


Progressive  Agriculture  109 

indicating  in  a  broad  sense  that  cultivation  makes 
the  plant  grow. 

A  glance  at  Cut  No.  24  and  you  have  the  counter 
effect  of  25.  Here  an  artificial  combination  of 
conditions  has  been  mechanically  brought  out, 
which  utilized  other  natural  resources  with  the 
result  of  nearly  four  times  the  growth. 

The  farmer  should  no  longer  go  blindly  into 
these  things;  he  must  grasp  the  Why,  then  the 
When  and  then  the  How. 

Just  a  glance  at  the  trees  in  Cut  No.  6,  Carolina 
poplars.  Note  the  uniform  healthy  growth,  five 
years  of  good,  timely  tillage  has  done  this.  Observe 
that  the  surface  soil  is  not  fine  and  there  are  no 
weeds.  The  same  fact  is  borne  out  in  Cuts  Nos.  4, 5, 
and  7,  we  personally  know  of  several  other  groves 
and  orchards  equally  good. 

PREPARING  FOR  TREES 

In  starting  shade,  ornamental  or  fruit  trees, 
especially  in  the  sections  of  lighter  rainfall,  it  is 
time  gained  in  the  end  to  summer  till  one  entire 
season,  following  about  the  same  plan  as  laid 
down  for  fall  wheat  as  to  time  of  plowing  etc. 
The  greater  care  you  take  of  the  field  the  greater 
will  be  the  degree  of  success.  Weeds  must  be 
kept  out  just  the  same. 

PLANTING  THE  TREES 

As  a  rule  the  best  time  to  set  the  trees  in  summer 
tilled  land  is  the  following  spring  when  the  ground 
begins  to  warm.  Early  and  careful  tillage  is  also 
important.  Should  your  trees  come  to  you  early 


110  Progressive  Agriculture 

in  the  spring  be  sure  to  heal  them  in  that  day. 
A  trench  with  the  north  side  sloping  about  45 
degrees  is  best.  Make  the  depth  in  proportion  to 
the  height  of  the  tree. 

Take  the  trees  from  the  packages  and  lay  them 
in  the  trench  tops  to  the  north  and  cover  roots, 
body  and  into  the  branches  with  moist  dirt.  After 
the  roots  are  well  covered  turn  in  just  enough 
water  to  dissolve  the  dirt  and  settle  it  well  into 
or  among  the  roots,  do  not  let  the  small  roots  get 
dry  in  handling. 

Do  not  dig  the  hole  until  you  are  ready  to  set 
the  tree,  then  dig  one  just  large  enough  to  take 
in  the  roots,  and  deep  enough  to  let  the  tree  in 
about  three  inches  deeper  than  it  stood  in  the 
nursery.  Do  not  use  water  very  liberally  in  setting 
the  tree,  just  enough  to  disolve  and  settle  the  dirt 
well  in  among  the  roots. 

In  filling  the  hole  after  setting  the  tree,  the  roots 
should  first  be  covered  and  water  applied ;  the  dirt 
should  be  well  firmed  up  to  within  three  inches 
of  the  top  then  filled  with  loose  dirt. 

If  your  tree  is  healthy  it  will  sure  grow.  Then 
comes  the  tillage  which  is  done  much  as  you 
would  cultivate  corn.  Upon  the  time  and  the 
kind  of  cultivation  from  this  on,  depends  the 
rapidity  of  growth  and  healthfulness  of  the  trees. 
Shrubs,  roses  and  almost  any  annual  can  be  made 
grow  and  bloom  prolificly  with  this  same  treat- 
ment. It  is  always  well  to  protect  the  body  of 
the  tree  the  first  spring  by  wrapping  loosely  with 
stiff  paper. 


Progressive  Agriculture  111 

SMALL  FRUIT 

The  same  plan  outlined  for  trees  applies  to 
currents,  gooseberries,  blackberries,  raspberries, 
and  strawberries,  and  if  you  observe  closely  the 
points  referred  to  at  the  commencement  of  this 
chapter,  there  will  be  no  question  as  to  the  success. 
To  successfully  grow  these  small  fruits  and  flowers 
but  little  time  is  required  if  the  work  is  properly 
applied  at  the  right  time.  Just  want  to  and  it's 
easy. 

BREAKING  SOD  FOR  CROP 

There  is  very  much  in  the  manner  of  breaking 
sod  for  crop,  especially  wheat.  Early  breaking  is 
desirable  but  the  soil  must  be  moist  for  best 
results.  The  most  economical  way  is  to  break 
about  four  inches  deep  and  use  every  possible 
precaution  to  have  all  furrows  even  in  width  as 
well  as  thickness,  then  follow  as  closely  as  possible 
with  a  heavy  roller  to  settle  the  sod  down  flat, 
and  press  out  all  air  spaces  below.  This  however, 
cannot  be  successfully  done  if  the  sod  is  allowed 
to  dry  while  kinked.  After  the  rolling  the  top 
should  be  double-disked  about  half  the  depth  of 
the  breaking.  In  midsummer  it  will  probably  be 
necessary  to  double-disk  again  to  keep  the  top 
loose  and  keep  down  the  weeds  but  do  not  go 
any  deeper  than  the  first  time. 

The  special  points  referred  to  are  vital,  the 
point  being  to  get  the  lower  part  as  firm  as  possible 
and  keep  the  top  or  mulch  loose  to  aid  in  keeping 
the  moisture,  and  keep  the  weeds  out  at  all 
hazards  throughout  the  season,  when  you  will  be 


112  Progressive  Agriculture 

able  to  have  an  ideal  seed  bed  liberally  supplied 
with  available  fertility  under  which  conditions 
either  fall  or  spring  seeding  will  start  off  under 
favorable  conditions. 

The  old  plan  was  to  break  thin,  then  backset 
about  as  much  deeper.  The  above  plan  is  more 
economical  and  will  bring  better  results  if  strict 
attention  is  given  to  details. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  SOIL  AUGER  IN  TILLAGE  EDUCATION 

Of  all  the  details  in  soil  culture,  none  are  more 
vital  and  yet  less  understood  than  the  utility  of 
soil  water.  Water  is  wasted  by  the  average 
farmer  and  we  all  know  that  water  is  the  factor 
so  much  needed  to  bring  us  a  good  crop.  We 
look  for  the  rain;  we  hope  for  it;  we  long  for  it 
and  pray  for  it ;  yet  when  it  comes  we  allow  a  large 
per  cent  of  it  to  go  to  waste  and  seemingly  with 
no  concern  whatever,  as  to  its  utility  and  enorm- 
ous value.  We  make  no  preparation  to  receive  it. 
We  put  forth  little  effort  to  store  and  conserve  it. 
Why  are  we  all  so  lax  regarding  a  question  of 
such  vital  and  universal  importance?  Because 
we  have  not  been  educated  along  this  line.  We 
are  too  much  inclined  to  look  to  and  trust  the 
heavens  for  sufficient  and  timely  rain. 

THE  SOIL  AUGER,  WHAT  IT  WILL  SHOW  YOU 

There  is  no  implement  so  little  used  on  the  farm 
and  yet  so  capable  of  conveying  a  wider  scopef  of 


Progressive  Agriculture  113 

valuable  information  and  practical  assistance  as 
the  soil  auger.  It's  intelligent  use  will  disclose 
much  of  the  folly  of  our  past  efforts.  With  a  few 
minutes  time  and  a  little  well  directed  effort  on 
your  part,  the  soil  auger  will  clearly  show  you  how 
deeply  the  moisture  has  percolated  into  your  soil 
in  the  spring.  With  a  little  investigation  and 
thinking  you  can  see  why  it  has  gone  deeper  into 
some  fields  than  others,  a  fact  that  if  understood 
quite  clearly,  explains  why  certain  things  should 
or  should  not  be  done.  It  will  show  you  how 
much  real  working  capital  you  have  on  which  to 
begin  your  season's  work  and  where  it  is. 

It  will  show  you  with  surprising  correctness 
how  fast  this  money  making  moisture  will  get  out 
of  the  soil  during  the  early  spring  days  if  you 
leave  the  packed  surface  uncultivated.  Once 
allowed  to  go  in  this  manner  it  is  like  money 
foolishly  spent,  "lost  forever". 

The  auger  will  show  you  how  much  more  moist- 
ure the  under  portion  of  your  plowed  land  will 
hold  if  well  packed  than  if  left  loose.  It  will 
show  you  how  the  roots  of  your  wheat,  oats, 
barley  and  other  small  grain  feed  from  the  top  of 
the  moisture  first,  and  how  the  roots  then  go 
down  deeper  for  moisture  as  it  is  gradually  used 
up  at  the  top,  during  the  excessive  hot  weather 
without  rain.  During  the  exrtemely  hot  June  of 
1913,  by  using  a  soil  auger  we  found  wheat  roots 
which  had  gone  down  over  four  feet.  If  you  do 
not  have  it  stored  down  there  the  roots  can't 
get  it. 

It  will  show  you  how  completely  you  hold  the 


114  Progressive  Agriculture 

moisture  just  beneath  the  soil  mulch  if  you 
cultivate  just  often  enough  and  at  the  right  time, 
and  if  used  with  persistent,  close  observation,  it 
will  indicate  when  to  cultivate  to  retain  the  most 
moisture. 

It  will  show  how  much  faster  a  thick  stand  of 
wheat  or  other  small  grain  will  take  the  moisture 
than  a  thinner  stand.  It  will  not  only  show  you, 
but  will  convince  you  with  ample  evidence  what 
the  right  kind  of  soil  tillage  at  the  right  time 
means  to  your  crops  and  to  your  bank  account. 

KIND  AND  SIZE  OF  AUGER 

There  are  special  soil  augers  made,  but  the 
common  wood  auger  of  one  and  one-fourth  inches 
in  diameter  with  stem  lengthened  to  about  five 
feet  long  is  all  that  is  necessary  for  practical 
purposes.  Cut  off  the  little  screw  at  the  lower 
end  and  file  or  grind  off  the  upper  lips  and  you 
will  find  it  easier  to  operate.  If  you  have  good 
soil  and  plenty  of  moisture  down  five  feet  in  any 
average  season,  it  makes  little  difference  what  is 
below. 

HOW  TO  BEGIN 

Remove  the  loose  surface  soil,  and  as  you  begin 
boring  do  not  crowd  the  auger.  On  the  contrary 
hold  the  auger  back  so  it  will  cut  lightly  at  each 
revolution  giving  you  a  smooth  hole  full  size,  and 
permitting  the  auger  to  be  easily  pulled  out,  as 
you  go  deeper,  without  tearing  the  top.  See  Cut 
No.  48.  Go  about  four  inches  each  time  or  until 
the  pod  is  full. 


Progressive  Agriculture  115 

WATER  HOLDING  CAPACITY  OF  THE  SOIL 

Some  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  different 
soil  formations  and  the  relation  of  their  texture  to 
their  water  holding  capacity  is  quite  important 
in  planning  for  your  crop  and  work.  Therefore, 
they  should  be  carefully  studied.  Know  your 
soil  and  how  to  use  it.  This  will  all  come  to  you 
through  the  use  of  the  soil  auger  and  a  little  careful 
thinking.  Soil  of  a  fairly  fine  texture  will  hold 
more  moisture  per  cubic  inch  than  a  coarser  soil. 
For  illustration,  a  given  amount  of  moisture 
might  percolate  eight  inches  in  a  fixed  length 
of  time  in  a  fine  texture  soil  containing  no  sand, 
while  in  a  coarser  soil  containing  some  sand  it 
would  percolate  twelve  inches  in  the  same  length 
of  time.  In  a  still  looser  and  coarser  soil,  the  water 
might  percolate  eighteen  inches.  The  depth  at 
which  the  moisture  is  found  in  your  soil,  however, 
does  not  always  indicate  the  amount  of  moisture 
there  is  in  your  soil  available  for  plant  growing; 
neither  does  the  fact  that  the  finer  grained  and 
more  compact  soil  carries  a  higher  per  cent  of 
available  moisture  in  each  cubic  inch  indicate 
that  it  will  carry  the  crop  a  longer  time  without 
rain  unless  you  play  your  part  well.  Quite  often 
this  finer  textured  soil  with  its  higher  per  cent 
of  available  moisture  will,  in  a  well  prepared  seed 
and  root  bed,  promote  more  stooling  and  a  ranker 
growth  of  the  plant,  thus  requiring  more  moisture 
to  keep  up  the  daily  growth  than  the  coarser  soil 
that  carries  the  moisture  down  deeper  and  faster, 
in  which  the  return  by  capillary  attraction  is 


116  Progressive  Agriculture 

also  slower.  In  this  coarser  soil  there  may  be 
less  stooling.  Consequently  the  total  plant  foli- 
age would  require  less  water  and  would  exist  as 
long  or  longer  than  the  plant  in  the  fine  textured 
soil  though  there  is  less  moisture  per  cubic  inch  in 
the  coarser  soil. 

The  tendency  of  all  grain  roots  to  go  deeply  after 
stored  moisture  during  prolonged  dry  periods 
is  the  main  reason  why  plants  do  not  wither 
as  quickly  in  a  sandy  soil  as  in  heavier,  finer 
textured  soil  upon  which  the  same  quantity 
of  water  has  fallen.  The  finer  texture  soil  requires 
much  more  watchful  care  and  judgment  as  to  the 
time  and  manner  of  cultivation  than  the  coarser, 
more  sandy  soils.  However,  this  careful  extra 
care,  if  intelligently  applied  to  these  finer  soils, 
brings  greater  returns  in  the  end. 

WHEN  TO  USE  THE  SOIL  AUGER 

Make  borings  early  in  the  spring  as  soon  as 
frost  conditions  will  permit  in  all  your  different 
fields.  Then  observe  by  later  borings  the  dif- 
ference in  the  amount  of  moisture  you  have  held 
where  you  have  double-disked  and  otherwise 
cultivated  the  ground  as  compared  to  a  field  that 
has  not  been  cultivated.  Make  frequent  borings 
after  rains  for  three  or  four  days  to  observe  how 
this  moisture  percolates  into  the  ground  in 
different  soil  conditions  and  at  different  grain 
growing  stages.  Observe  the  difference  in  the 
depth  that  a  fairly  heavy  rain  will  percolate  into 
the  soil  that  is  already  moist  to  a  considerable 
depth,  as  compared  to  the  soil  that  is  practically 


Progressive  Agriculture  117 

dry.  Make  frequent  borings  in  your  thick  or  thin 
stands  of  wheat  and  other  grains  and  observe  how 
much  longer  you  have  apparent  available  moisture 
with  the  thinner  stand  of  wheat  than  in  the 
thicker  stand  on  the  same  type  of  soil.  This, 
however,  does  not  refer  to  wheat  so  thin  that  weeds 
are  growing  where  the  wheat  should  be.  You 
must  be  sure  that  the  thickness  of  the  wheat  is 
the  only  veriable  factor,  before  drawing  con- 
clusions. Remember  also  that  a  very  thin  stand 
does  not  protect  the  moisture  by  shading  as  does 
the  stand  that  just  covers  the  ground. 

Bore  in  your  summer  tilled  fields  and  in  your 
adjoining  fields  and  observe  the  difference  in  the 
per  cent  and  depth  of  moisture  you  are  carrying 
in  your  summer  tilled  fields  as  compared  to  other 
fields  that  are  carelessly  handled  or  are  growing 
crops.  Observe  carefully  the  amount  of  moisture 
in  the  very  top  of  the  firm  soil  under  the  mulch 
when  the  surface  has  been  frequently  stirred  or 
cultivated  as  compared  to  land  that  has  remained 
a  considerable  length  of  time  without  cultivation. 
Observe  the  advantage  of  the  coarser  mulch  in 
holding  the  moisture  as  against  the  finer  dust- 
like  mulch.  This  you  will  find  very  marked  as 
you  reach  the  more  heated  part  of  the  season,  and 
especially  if  a  crop  is  growing.  Notice  the 
difference  in  the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  thick 
and  thin  stands  of  corn  under  the  same  conditions. 
The  difference  will  be  more  noticeable  after  the 
corn  reaches  the  tasseling  stage.  Above  all  do  a 
little  careful  thinking  as  you  observe  these  condi- 
tions, for  as  you  become  more  interested  you  will 


118  Progressive  Agriculture 

more  readily  appreciate  how  many  more  things 
there  are  to  know,  and  how  many  things  you 
really  did  not  know. 

EXAMINING  THE  SOIL  AND  ITS  MOISTURE 

If  the  auger  is  used  with  care  and  thought,  you 
will  soon  learn  just  how  to  use  it  and  how  to  obtain 
perfect  samples  of  soil.  Then  with  a  little  careful 
practice  you  will  soon  learn  how  to  judge  your 
soil  moisture  for  all  practical  purposes.  See  Cut 
No.  49. 

You  will  at  times  find  some  soil  so  dry  that  the 
soil  particles  will  not  cling  together,  under  which 
conditions  it  is  difficult  to  lift  the  soil  with  the 
auger  from  the  hole  without  a  sudden  jerk.  Such 
soil  has  practically  lost  all  its  capillary  or  available 
moisture. 

When  there  is  moisture  enough,  the  soil  particles 
will  cling  together  until  you  lift  the  auger  from  the 
hole,  and  as  you  tip  the  auger  over  it  readily  falls. 
Such  soil  has  considerable  available  moisture  left. 

Another  degree  of  moisture  is  when  it  sticks 
together  until  you  have  to  push  it  from  the  auger, 
or  rather  unwind  it,  yet  it  does  not  stick  to  the 
auger.  This  is  the  most  favorable  condition  of  the 
soil  for  the  growing  plants,  but  is  usually  found 
where  the  soil  is  of  the  loam  order  and  under 
proper  tillage. 

Another  condition  is  where  there  is  sufficient 
moisture  for  the  soil  to  not  only  stick  together  but  to 
adhere  to  the  auger  so  you  have  to  scrape  off  or 
otherwise  force  from  the  auger.  Under  this  con- 
dition the  soil  carries  the  highest  possible  per  cent 


Progressive  Agriculture  119 

of  capillary  water.  This  is  a  condition  that  should 
be  found  in  summer  tilled  ground  soon  after  a  rain, 
especially  in  a  soil  that  has  only  a  light  percentage 
of  sand. 

This  is  a  very  important  point  to  be  observed 
in  your  summer  tilled  fields.  If  your  top  firm  soil 
immediately  beneath  the  mulch  does  not  carry 
sufficient  moisture  to  nearly  or  quite  represent 
the  latter  condition  referred  to,  you  can  rest 
assured  that  you  have  not  given  your  field  the 
best  of  tillage.  You  have  lost  moisture  either  by 
growth  of  weeds,  or  the  allowing  of  your  ground 
to  lie  too  long  with  a  shallow  mulch  without 
cultivation,  or  your  seed  bed  is  not  sufficiently 
fine  and  firm.  Properly  handled,  summer  tilled 
fields  should  carry  this  high  per  cent  of  capillary 
water  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  firm  soil  right 
through  the  season  or  until  the  crop  begins  to 
grow,  unless  your  soil  is  very  sandy.  This  not 
only  applies  to  summer  tilling  for  wheat,  but  to 
quite  a  degree  in  early  spring  tilling  for  late  plant- 
ing for  cane  or  corn. 

THE  AUGER  AS  A  TILLAGE  INDICATOR 

By  the  study  of  your  various  fields  during  the 
summer  season  using  the  soil  auger  as  a  guide, 
you  will  very  soon  appreciate  how  very  vital  to 
the  larger  yields  of  all  your  crops  is  the  cultivation 
of  your  fields  at  just  the  right  time. 

The  one  great  question  the  fanner  must  recog- 
nize is  that  his  last  rain  though  it  be  a  good  one, 
may  be  the  last  one  for  the  season.  Therefore, 
it  is  up  to  the  farmer  to  direct  his  work  from  early 


120  Progressive  Agriculture 

spring  until  late  in  the  fall  in  such  a  way  as  to 
economize  this  limited  amount  of  rainfall  and 
utilize  it  to  the  highest  possible  degree. 

When  you  fully  realize,  as  you  will  by  the 
persistent  use  of  the  auger,  that  the  surplus 
moisture  of  this  year  should  and  can  be  carefully 
retained  in  the  soil  for  next  years'  crop  and  by 
retaining  more  moisture  in  the  soil  at  all  times, 
you  promote  a  life  like  condition  of  the  soil,  a 
condition  you  will  soon  learn  to  appreciate  as  it 
helps  to  prevent  blowing  and  increases  the  avail- 
able fertility,  all  of  which  helps  to  increase  your 
yields. 

NOTE — It  must  be  remembered  that  the  auger  test  is  not  an  accurate  one. 
Sometimes  a  soil  which  apparently  contains  but  little  moisture  may  have 
considerable,  depending  upon  the  texture  of  the  soil.  The  auger  will,  however, 
give  accurate  information  in  comparing  soils  of  the  same  type,  and  noting 
general  moisture  conditions. 


Progressive  Agriculture  121 

CHAPTER  XIX 
CONCLUSION 

I  am  not  satisfied  with  all  I  have  told  you  for 
I  still  believe  more  can  be  accomplished  when 
we  know  more  about  our  soils  and  how  to  handle 
them.  I  am  planning  some  extensive  experiments 
for  1916  and  expect  to  compile  a  larger  book  at 
the  close  and  be  able  to  tell  you  better  how  to 
get  more  out  of  Mother  Earth. 

I  am  more  of  the  opinion  that  the  moderately 
small  farm  handled  by  the  farmer's  own  family, 
with  the  aid  of  implements  that  will  get  over  the 
ground  quicker,  do  a  broader  scope  of  work  and 
more  completely  accomplish  the  work  on  time, 
and  as  it  should  be,  is  going  to  support  in  the 
future,  the  prosperous  and  happy  farm  home. 

The  real  science  or  "know  how"  in  farming  is 
only  in  its  infancy,  because  we  are  just  beginning 
to  see  its  broadness  and  some  of  its  real  pos- 
sibilities. 

WHAT  SOME  FARMERS  ARE  DOING 

Below  are  given  excerpts  from  just  a  few  of  the 
hundreds  of  letters  the  author  of  this  book  has 
received  bearing  on  some  of  the  questions  dis- 
cussed. They  show  what  real  farmers  are  actually 
doing: 


122  Progressive  Agriculture 


Some  Strong  Endorsements  of 
Our  Work 


INCREASED  PRODUCTIVENESS 

Mr.  Ray  Shepherd,  merchant,  Yuma,  Colorado,  June  11,  1915:  "In 
conversation  with  Mr.  Moyer  only  yesterday,  your  name  and  work  were 
mentioned  and  Mr.  Moyer  remarked  that  in  his  estimation  your  teachings 
and  demonstrations  had  increased  the  productiveness  of  this  county  more 
than  we  could  conceive. 

"The  good  your  personal  supervision  and  instruction  has  done  to  our 
farmers  is  unmeasureable.  I  have  been  in  close  touch  with  these  people  for 
the  past  six  years.  I  personally  know  of  more  occasions  than  one  when  they 
have  been  almost  discouraged  and  ready  to  give  up  but  you  came  along  and 
talked  the  matter  over  with  them  and  they  have  come  through  winners,  and 
I  am  only  expressing  the  feeling  of  the  entire  country." 


THEY  PRODUCED  RESULTS 

MR.  JOHN  DUGAN,  Stoneham,  Colorado,  June  3,  1915:  "I  don't  believe 
you  realize  the  real  benefit  you  have  done  and  are  doing  this  territory.  Among 
the  newcomers,  there  are  a  few  who  are  familiar  with  your  system  of  farming. 
These  fellows  went  right  ahead  and  produced  results,  showing  the  balance  of 
us  how  to  handle  this  land.  The  result  is  that  last  year  we  had  over  fifty  cars 
of  grain  shipped  from  this  small  station  where  ten  years  ago  it  was  thought 
impossible  to  raise  a  bushel.  Your  talk  last  April  was  a  big  help  but  just 
made  our  people  hungry  for  more.  The  farmers  knowing  you  by  reputation 
have  faith  in  your  advice." 


SUCCESS  IN  KNOWING  HOW 

MR.  W.  W.  COCKRAN,  Briggsdale,  Colorado,  December  23,  1914:  "Three 
years  ago  I  listened  to  a  lecture  by  you  in  Sligo,  I  then  took  up  the  study 
of  farming  as  laid  down  by  you,  and  since  then  the  personal  advice  you  have 
been  kind  enough  to  give  me  in  my  own  fields  has  enabled  me  to  grow  what 
would  be  fairly  good  crops  in  Lancaster  county,  Nebraska,  or  any  other 
place. 

"My  wheat  this  year  made  34£  bushels,  my  corn  30  bushels,  barley  20 
bushels,  millet  20  bushels,  and  potatoes  120  bushels.  I  have  a  small  pit  silo 
that  holds  30  tons,  which  I  filled  from  7  acres  of  corn.  These  crops  were 
all  made  on  less  than  8  inches  of  rainfall,  and  I  owe  my  success  to  you." 


Progressive  Agriculture  123 

EARLY  DOUBLE  DISKING 

Mr.  Fred  Newrock,  Weldpna,  Colorado,  November  3,  1915:  "I  want  to 
thank  you  for  your  timely  advice  last  spring  on  late  corn  planting,  for  if  it  had 
not  been  for  your  encouraging  answer  to  my  letter,  I  probably  would  not  have 
put  in  a  crop  last  spring  at  all,  consequently  would  have  been  1,500  bushels  of 
corn  short  of  what  I  am.  I  double  disked  my  ground  early  last  spring  and  was 
getting  ready  to  plant  corn  at  the  usual  time,  May  tenth,  but  right  at  that  time  it 
kept  on  raining  and  freezing  and  I  could  not  get  the  crop  in,  the  next  couple 
of  weeks  did  not  bring  any  favorable  changes  and  talk  was  loud  and  general 
that  it  was  useless  to  plant  corn  this  year  because  it  would  not  have  time  to 
mature.  In  the  meantime  I  got  your  letter,  then  I  harrowed  twice,  my  field 
was  nice  and  clean,  and  about  June  third,  against  the  solemn  advice  and  ridicule 
of  my  neighbors,  I  suddenly  decided  to  plant  all  my  65  acres,  so  I  listed  till 
the  eighth  the  old  ground  and  then  surface  planted  ti'll  the  twelfth  some  spring 
breaking  I  had.  Well  I  never  saw  anything  grow  any  prettier;  it  made  some  of 
them  take  notice.  I  had  little  trouble  with  the  weeds  and  my  corn  is  thoroughly 
matured,  while  some  of  my  neighbors'  crops  though  planted  May  tenth,  partly 
taken  by  the  weeds  are  not  well  matured,  therefore  I  am  in  favor  of  early 
double  disking  the  ground  and  plant  in  June." 

GOOD  FARMING  BEFORE  PLANTING 

Mr.  J.  M.  Ralston,  Oberlin,  Kansas,  April  14,  1915:  "I  am  anxious  to 
cooperate  with  you  in  your  work  this  year.  Your  system  is  certainly  helping 
this  country. 

"I  sowed  alfalfa  on  the  land  I  summer  tilled  under  your  direction  two 
years,  and  it  is  the  best  in  the  country. 

"I  am  a  great  advocate  of  doing  farming  before  the  crop  is  planted. 
I  am  convinced  your  work  is  all  O.  K.,  the  fault  is  with  the  farmer  that  is 
doing  the  work.  Enough  said." 

ON  WELL  FITTED  GROUND 

MR.  ARTHUR  SAUM,  Norton,  Kansas,  October  9,  1914:  "The  millet  was 
planted  July  thirteenth  and  harvested  September  fifth,  and  threshed  35  bushels 
per  acre  of  nice  clean  seed.  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  late  planted 
corn.  It  is  certainly  fine.  It  is  the  best  piece  of  corn  in  the  country. 

"The  cane  is  higher  than  a  man's  head  and  all  seeded.  I  am  strong  for 
this  late  planted  stuff  where  the  soil  has  been  properly  spring  tilled.  You 
are  certainly  doing  a  great  work." 

EASTERN  COLORADO  REJOICES 

MR.  H.  C.  HOCH,  lumber  dealer,  Yuma,  Colorado,  June  10,  1915:  "East- 
ern Colorado  is  fast  coming  to  the  front  as  a  farming  section.  Your  untiring 
efforts  to  teach  our  farmers  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  of  keeping 
the  moisture  in  it  has  been  one  of  the  main  reasons  that  big  results  have  been 
obtained. 

"I  might  mention  the  names  of  a  great  many  farmers  that  have  taken 
up  your  methods  of  soil  culture  with  good  results,  but  will  only  name  a  few: 
G.  W.  Hahn,  Jas.  Moyer,  Jas.  Jacobson,  Wensel  Black,  Thor  Olson,  Chas 
Chrismer.  These  have  grown  some  wonderful  crops  on  land  farmed  by  your 
methods. 

"Stay  with  it,  Mr.  Campbell;  let  the  good  work  go  on.  We  are  not  the 
only  ones  that  appreciate  your  work." 

GOOD  RESULTS  WITH  CANE 

F3^'  MR.  GEO.  B.  THOMPKINS,  Sterling,  Colorado,  October  3,  1915.  "On  July 
third,  I  put  in  a  piece  of  spring  tilled  ground  to  cane  and  it  was  six  feet  high 
September  tenth  when  I  cut  it,  and  it  will  make  five  tons  to  the  acre  against 
two  on  ground  planted  to  cane  May  twenty-fifth.  You  have  been  a  big  help 
to  me  this  year  by  sending  me  better  farming  information.  I  believe  in  early 
and  thorough,  continued  spring  tillage  and  the  necessary  later  planting." 


124  Progressive  Agriculture 

SUMMER  TILLAGE  DOES  THE  BUSINESS 

MR.  AUGUST  DESENS,  Stratton,  Nebraska,  September  7,  1914:  "Our 
summer  tilled  wheat  was  fine  up  to  June  eleventh,  when  we  had  a  terrible 
hail  storm  making  it  a  total  loss.  It  would  have  yielded  45  to  50  bushels  per 
acre. 

"My  cane  sowed  under  your  instructions  is  dandy.  It  stands  about  5$ 
feet  high,  heading  out  and  has  been  in  the  ground  only  43  days,  will  make 
the  best  feed  I  ever  raised. 

"Our  ground  we  have  summer  tilled  for  wheat  next  year  is  moist  the  full 
depth  of  the  five  foot  auger.  We  have  56  acres  of  this  summer  tilling  and  are 
well  pleased  with  the  system,  as  it  is  the  only  way  to  raise  big  crops.  Wish 
you  could  see  my  cane." 


HEARTY  COOPERATION  ASSURED 

MR.  E.  LORING,  Yuma,  Colorado,  September  25,  1914:  "Perhaps  it 
might  be  interesting  to  you  to  know  something  of  the  1914  crop  conditions 
near  Yuma.  I  could  give  you  names  of  many  who  have  wonderful  yields  of 
grain  under  your  system  of  farming,  farmers  here  are  just  beginning  to  realize 
what  good  or  better  farming  means. 

"I  hope  Mr.  Campbell,  you  will  continue  to  be  with  us  for  some  time. 
I  am  in  position  to  judge  the  feeling  as  to  better  farming  among  our  farmers 
here,  for  during  the  winter  time  many  farmers  congregate  in  my  office  and  we 
have  thorough  discussions  regarding  methods  of  farming.  I  can  assure  you 
of  our  hearty  cooperation." 


MILLET  GETS  BIG  CROP 

MR.  EMIL  ANDREEN,  Dalton,  Nebraska,  September,  14  1915:  "I  am 
sending  you  today  a  sample  of  millet.  It  was  planted  the  seventh  of  July  on 
spring  tilled  land  and  made  a  most  wonderful  growth.  I  had  five  acres  of  it. 
It  looks  good  for  at  least  80  bushels  to  the  acre.  This  is  the  fruit  of  some 
of  your  efforts." 

WELL  PAID  FOR  THE  WORK 

MR.  F.  E.  VANGUILDER,  Haxton,  Colorado,  October  24,  1914:  "My 
summer  tilled  field  in  1913,  yielded  24  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  had  no  rain 
from  May  thirtieth,  until  wheat  was  ripe.  I  had  20  acres  of  wheat  in  a  field 
adjoining  which  was  planted  in  corn  stalk  land  well  cultivated,  and  from  the 
20  acres  I  got  46  bushels  or  21  bushels  per  acre,  which  shows  plainly  that  I 
was  well  paid  for  all  work  done  on  the  summer  tilled  land.  I  never  expect  to 
let  another  year  go  by  without  summer  tilling." 


SEND  THE  SKEPTICS  TO  YUMA 

MR.  J.  M.  MOVER,  Yuma,  Colorado,  August  26,  1914:  "This  year  I 
disked  my  stubble  ground  while  harvesting,  as  you  advocated  and  I  found 
that  it  surely  pays,  as  I  could  go  ahead  and  plow  afterwards,  while  whore  the 
ground  had  not  been  disked,  the  moisture  was  all  gone.  I  wish  you  could  have 
noted  the  difference.  The  more  your  methods  are  practiced  the  less  failures 
there  will  be  and  the  semi-arid  districts  will  be  the  best  of  all  and  bloom  like 
Hahn's  rose  garden. 

"I  have  been  able  to  grow  trees,  fruit  and  grain  of  different  kinds,  where 
others  have  failed,  but  it  has  all  been  done  along  the  lines  of  your  advice. 
I  wish  hundreds  of  eastern  renters  could  see  and  know  just  what  myself  and 
several  other  farmers  have  done  here  in  the  past  four  years. 

"When  you  find  any  skeptics  just  send  them  to  Yuma  and  we  will  con-- 
vince  them  that  with  the  Campbell  system  properly  applied  this  country  is 
as  good  as  any." 


Progressive  Agriculture  125 

BELIEVES  IN  THE  PRINCIPLES 

MR.  F.  E.  DODSON,  Stratton,  Nebraska,  April  2,  1915:  "I  fully  believe 
in  your  principles  and  system  of  farming  and  I  want  to  be  able  to  put  them 
into  more  effective  operation.  I  would  have  left  this  country  long  ago  had  it 
not  been  for  the  possible  results  that  I  know  can  be  accomplished  by  your 
system.  I  shall  try  to  put  into  practice  the  principles  of  soil  culture  that  I 
have  learned  with  your  help." 

NOTHING  TO  WORRY  ABOUT  NOW 

MR.  ED  DESENS,  Stratton,  Nebraska,  November  2,  1914:  "When  one 
has  plenty  of  feed  at  the  close  of  a  dry  year  like  this  it  makes  one  feel  proud  to 
think  he  has  accomplished  something  worth  while,  and  I  know  I  have.  It 
has  been  a  hard  matter  for  me  to  raise  feed  for  stock,  therefore,  I  could  only 
winter  a  few  until  you  taught  me  your  methods. 

"The  seventeenth  of  July,  I  sowed  20  acres  of  cane  on  spring  tilled  land 
from  which  over  five  tons  of  dry  feed  the  finest  quality  I  have  seen.  Now 
with  one  hundred  tons  of  cane  in  the  stack  I  have  nothing  to  worry  about." 

BUT  THE  WHEAT  IS  FINE 

MR.  P.  E.  PARKINS,  Stratton,  Nebraska,  May  16,  1915:  "While  I  believe 
your  way  is  the  right  way,  I  am  not  in  shape  to  carry  out  your  instructions  as 
I  would  like  to.  My  wheat  that  I  put  in  last  year  on  summer  tilled  is  certainly 
fine  and  encourages  one  to  follow  you  more  and  closer." 

MAKES  FOR  RENEWED  CONFIDENCE 

MR.  JOHN  W.  SCHMIDT,  New  Castle,  Wyoming,  May  30,  1915:  "With 
many  thanks,  I  wish  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  instructions  and 
interesting  letters  both  of  May  eighteenth  and  May  twenty-first,  together 
with  Bulletin,  'Some  Tillage  Suggestions.'  This  information  has  put  matters 
more  clearly  in  my  understanding  aid  makes  o.ie  feel  confident  and  encouraged 
to  try  again  in  spite  of  failures  ii  the  past  when  we  can  see  why  we  failed  and 
how  to  prevent  it." 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Progressive  Agriculture 


129 


No.  1.     Hardy  W.   Campbell 


130 


Progressive  Agriculture 


Progressive  Agriculture 


131 


132 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.   4.     Four  Years   From   Raw  Prairie 

G.  W.  Hahn's  home  5  miles  north  of  Yuma,  Colorado.  A  result  of 
four  years  of  careful  planning  and  tilling  with  a  purpose.  This  is 
entrance  to  grounds  on  Rose  Hill  Farm  shown  in  No.  2.  Many  things 
are  impossible  until  we  know  how.  See  Page  26. 


No.    5.     Apple    Orchard.     Yuma,    Colorado 

Result  of  careful  tillage  for  five  years  on  Mr.  Hahn's  farm.     These 
trees  are  directly  to  the  rear  of  No.  4.  Does  this  look  bleak?  See  Page  26. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


133 


No.    6.      Remarkable    Growth    of    Trees 
Windbreak  of  Carolina  poplars  grown  by  J.  M.  Moyer,  half  mile 
south  of  Yuma,  Colorado;    five  years  old,  average  18  feet  high;    result 
of   careful   cultivation,    no   irrigation.      Note   the   even   course    mulch 
among  the  trees.     See  Page   73. 


No.   7.      Cherry  Orchard 

J.  M.  Moyer's  cherry  orchard,  five  years  old,  handled  same  as  the 
Carolina  poplars;  no  more  marked  growth  could  be  obtained  any- 
where and  what  any  farmer  can  have.  Just  a  little  know  how. 

See  Page  73. 


134 


Progressive  Agriculture 


Before  the  Rain  After  the  Rain 

No.  8.      Coarse  Soil  Mulch 

Illustrating  the   advantage  of   the  coarse   mulch   as  explained  on 
page  30. 


...      .;  ./:/,/ •     '  p  :^%£,-^ 

/  /      .-!     "•'".',       I          :"r.v'  •  /.••':..      •  /  •'/•'  •    :•     ['• /• 


Before  the  Rain  After  the  Rain 

No.   9.     Fine  or  dust  Mulch 

Showing    the   disadvantage  of   the   fine   or   dustlike   mulch   as   ex- 
plained on  page  30. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


135 


No.   10.      The  Stooling  of  Grain 

Showing  rapid  growth  and  stooling  of  grain  in  an  ideal  seed  bed. 
See  page  85. 


No.   11.     Good  and  Poor  Fitting 

Showing  contrast  in  growth  and  development  of  plants  in  a  coarse 
and  loose  soil  as  against  an  ideal  seed  bed.     See  page  8. 


136 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.    12.     Phenomenal    Growth   in    Fifty-Four    Days 

Corn  on  Mr.  Moench's  farm,  Orleans,  Nebraska,  planted  July  1, 
1914.  Photographed  August  23,  fully  six  feet  high  and  tasseled.  In- 
teresting explanation  on  page  52. 


No.   13.     Result  of  Spring  Tillage 

Same  field  as  No.  12,  taken  thirty  days  later;    crop  fully  matured 
rhile  other  fields  with  the  usual  preparation  all  badly  burned. 
See  page  53. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


137 


No.  14.      Stunted  Growth  From  Early  Planting 
Grown   by  W.   W.    Cockran,   five   miles   south  of   Sligo,    Colorado; 
planted  May  12,  1915,  compare  with  Cut  15,  that  was  planted  twenty- 
five  days  later.      See  Page  54. 


No.   15.     Result  of  Spring  Tillage 

Same  farm  as  JMo.  14,  corn  planted  June  6,  difference  as  between 
the  two  due  to  additional  available  plant  food  and  warmer  soil. 
Twenty-five  days  additional  spring  tillage.  The  thin  appearance 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  entire  field  was  cut  but  these  three  rows. 

See  Page  54. 


138 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.  16,      Remarkable  Corn  Crop  a  Mile  High 
Shocks  cut  from  field  No.   15  near  Sligo  Colorado,   150  miles  due 
north  of  Denver.     See  page  54. 


No.    17.      Forty-six    inches    High    in    Thirty-eight    Days 
Corn  on  Burlington  farm  at  Holdrege,  Nebraska,   planted  June  30, 
1914,  photographed  August  7;    twice  the  growth  in  half  the  time  of 
usual  planting.     See  page  55. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


139 


No.  18.      Early  Tilled  and  Well  Handled 


Corn  on  Burlington  farm,  Holdrege,  in  the  hot  dry  year  of  1910; 
ely  tillage  made  the 
the  road.      See  page  46. 


timely  tillage  made  the  crop.     Compare  with  cut  No.   19  just  across 
.      See  pa 


No.   19.      Destroyed   by   Drouth 

Field  adjoining  No.  18,  no  early  preparation  and  but  little  culti- 
vation, with  result  of  no  crop.     See  page  47. 


140 


Progressive  Agriculture 


lMiiE^:          ;_^]  •     ^i^ 


No.  20.     Root  Growth  of  Listed   Corn 

Dangerous  practice  is  to  not  split  the  ridge  until  it  has  becom* 
the  main  feeding  ground  of  the  roots.     See  page  49. 


No.  21.     Harvesting  and  Disking  With  Tractor 

Showing  important  practice  of  double  disking  ground  immed- 
iately following  the  harvester  on  J.  M.  Moyer's  50-acre  field  on  new 
breaking,  average  45%  bushels.  See  Page  37. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.    22.      Disking   After   Harvester   With   Horses 

Showing   method   of  pulling  the   tandem   or  double  disk   behind 
the   harvester.     See  page  37. 


No.   23.      Tandem  or   Double  Disk  Harrow 
One  man  with  six  horses  with  this  device  will  do  double  the  work 
one  man  and  four  horses  with  a  single  disk.     See  page  29. 


142 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.   24.      Good   Crop  From   Good   Fitting 
A  1915  crop  on  ground  broken  near  Yuma  in  1914  and  well  fitted; 
yield  39;.  bushels  of  wheat.     Contrast  with  No.  25.     See  page  67. 


No.   25.     Poor  Crop  From  Poor  Fitting 

Broken   in    1914,   on   section   adjoining   No.   24;     yield   in    1915    12., 
bushels.     Why  the  difference?     Tillage  only.     See  page  67. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


143 


No.  26.     Second   Crop  After  Summer  Tilling 

J.  M.  Moyer's  field,  Yuma  Colorado;  summer  tilled  1913;  1914 
crop  47^  bushels;  1915  or  the  crop  shown  in  cut  31  bushels;  two  years 
total  78',  bushels.  See  page  68. 


No.  27.     Second  Crop  After  Attempted  Summer  Tillage 

On  field  adjoining  No.  26,  also  summer  tilled  1913;  crop  of  1914 
made  24,',  bushels;  this  crop  on  1915,  111  bushels.  Two  years  total 
36  bushels.  Why  not  78£?  Did  not  know  how.  See  Page  68. 


144 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.  28.     Winter  Wheat  on  New  Ground 

For   facts  concerning  this   remarkable   field   and   its   lesson   as   to 
right  and  wrong  preparation,  see  page  70. 


No.   29.     Good   Preparation;     Big   Crop  of  Wheat 

Broken  and  carefully  handled  by  J.  M.  Moyer  from  prairie  sod  in 
1914,  crop  of  1915  yield  on  50  acres,  45;  bushels  per  acre.     See  page  71. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


145 


146 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.  31.     Wheat  on  Summer  Tilled  Ground 

Summer  tilled  in  1912,  harvested  in  the  hot  dry  year  of  1913,  yield 
34\  bushels,  on  J.  M.  Meyer's  farm.       See  page  72. 


No.  32.     Moyer's  ChampioniCrop 

Ground   summer   tilled   in    1914,   crop   of   winter  wheat   1915,    51k 
bushels.   Does  it  pay  to  farm  well?   Mr.  Moyer  says  it  does.  See  Page  72. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


147 


148 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.  34.      Big  Crop  With  Little  Rain 

C.  L.  Morgan's  farm  3  miles  south  of  Sligo,  Colorado;  summer 
tilled  in  1913  with  1  ,  inches  total  rain;  and  4'\  inches  from  January 
1,  1914  to  cutting  the  crop  or  12  inches  in  19  months.  See  Page  74. 


No.   35.      The  Acme  Harrow.    See  Page  32 


Progressive  Agriculture 


149 


V 


No.   36.     Plant   Food   the   Result   of   Tillage 

Showing  difference  in  stooling  of  wheat  on  adjoining  fields,  one 
having  been  summer  tilled,  the  other  given  ordinary  treatment, 
planted  same  day  and  pulled  41  days  later.  See  page  79. 


No.   37.      Loss  of  Plant   Food   From  Weeds 
Showing    how    a   few   weeds    depleted    the   moisture   and    checked 
the  necessary  chemical  action.     See  page  80. 


150 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.   38.      Result  of  Thorough  Preparation 
Winter  Wheat  six  miles  east  of  Akron,  Colorado;    summer  tilled 
1912,  crop  of  dry  year  of  1913;    remarkable  growth  with  little  rainfall 
because  of  correct  tillage.     See  page  77. 


No.  39.      Big  Crop  From  Good  Tillage 

Winter  wheat  Holdrege,  Nebraska;  summer  tilled  1903,  harvested 
in  1904,  a  somewhat  drouthy  year;  yield  54',  bushels  of  64  pound 
winter  wheat.  See  page  76. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


151 


No.   40.      Big  Yield  From  Thin  Seeding 

Five  heads  out  of  30  from  one  grain  of  "wheat,  containing  349  grains, 
from  summer  tilled  ground  in  eastern  Wyoming.     See  page^Sl. 


No.  41.     Hog  or  Broomcorn  Millet 

Grown  on  H.  O.  Ranch,  Madrid,  Nebraska;  planted  on  spring  tilled 
ground  July  10,  1914;  photographed  August  14,  or  35  days  from  plant- 
ing; average  36  inches  high.  Also  called  Hog  Millet.  A  grain  as  well 
as  hay.  See  page  104'. 


152 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.   42.      Kaffir  Corn 

Grown  by  Mr.  Moench,  Orleans,  Nebraska;  planted  on  spring 
tilled  ground  July  14,  1914;  photographed  August  20,  38  inches  high 
in  36  days.  See  page  103. 


No.  43.      Kaffir  Corn 

Grown  at  Norton,  Kansas,  by  Arthur  Saurn;  planted  July  10, 
1914  on  spring  tilled  ground,  photographed  August  24.  52  inches  high 
in  42  days.  See  page  103. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


153 


No.   44.      Cane  on   Spring  Tilling 

Grown  by  August  Desens,  Stratton,  Nebraska;  planted  July  27, 
1914;  yield  over  6  tons  per  acre  of  dry  hay;  cane  on  adjoining  farm 
planted  June  5,  less  than  half  ton.  See  page  99. 


No.  45.      Cane  for  Silo 

Grown  on  H.  O.  Ranch  spring  tilled;  listed  in  June  27,  1914;  care- 
fully cultivated;  average  yield  8^  tons  per  acre  of  ensilage;  double 
amount  ever  grown  there  before.  See  Page  101. 


154 


Progressive  Agriculture 


No.   46.      Sudan   Grass 

Grown  by  W.  W-  Cockran,  Sligo,  Colorado;  planted  June  15, 
1915;  over  six  feet  high.  Photographed  Sept.  25.  This  plant  promises 
well  for  hay;  is  probably  better  than  cane. 


No.  47.     Tillage  in  the  Garden 

Rhubarb  or  Pie  Plant,  grown  on  the  H.  O.  Ranch,  Madrid,  Ne- 
braska in  1915  a  result  of  thorough  careful  cultivation.  See  page  107. 


Progressive  Agriculture 


155 


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Corn  Forty-siii  Inches  High  in  Thirty-Eight  Days 

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Corn  in  Thirty-eight  Days  ? 


